Page:The Liquefaction of Gases.djvu/80

76 of nitrogen upon lime, in order to discover the cause of the loss of colour in the nitrogen, I perceived that this arose from its fixation, and a nitrate of lime was the result. This experiment, on account of the elasticity of nitrogen previous to its change of habitude, requires some caution; for one of my best receivers, three-eighths of an inch thick, was shivered in pieces with a violent explosion, after I had set it aside to see the effect of time upon the compressed gas.

Experiment 9. Upwards of a pint of nitrogen was condensed, and upon this I pumped one pint of gaseous oxide of carbon. The colour of the nitrogen was destroyed; nitrous acid was formed; and upon collecting the liberated gaseous oxide, it burnt not unlike alcohol. The two gases together were at first highly elastic.

From the facility with which nitrogen becomes united and fixed in various bodies, and from its expansive force when liberated from that state, I know not whether I am sufficiently warranted in suggesting an opinion, that the explosive force of various compounds may in a great measure be attributed to the sudden liberation of this fixed gas. To this cause I partly attribute the fulminating silver of Berthollet; the fulminating gold, and various nitrates; and the detonation which accompanies the decomposition of ammoniac by oxigenated muriatic acid gas.

Exp. 10. Having been unsuccessful in my endeavours to inflame phosphorus by the compression of atmospheric air, (see Exp. 4.) I now tried oxigen, but with little better effect. The phosphorus appeared to be somewhat discoloured, and I thought had a tendency to liquify, as it does when put upon a heated plate of iron. Indeed I have no doubt that some heat is generated by the condensation of air, since the thermometer rises upon external application to the receiver.