The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-16
DEVOURS LIKE FIRE.
THE WONDERFUL EFFECTS PRoouc-
ED BY FlUoRlNE.

stat This Powerful Solvent Researches
Into the Nature OF Hitherto Poorly
Known Chemical Element.
The alchemists of the middle ages be-
lieved that somewhere in the universe
was to be found q universal solvent
which would dissolve the most refrac-
tory substances as readily as water dis
solves sugar. They named their solvent
liquor alkahest, and what time they
could spare from the search after the
elixir Of life and the philosophers
stone was spent in the endeavor to OBJ
tain it. Science has yet to prove, by the
way, that there was not more method
In the madness of the alchemists than
Is generally supposed, for in the re-
markable substance fluorine chemists
possess material that approximates very
closely to a universal solvent. Its chem
ical energy is SO fierce that, except gold
and platinum, nothing can resist it, and
even gold and platinum succumb TO
fiuorine in time. The mere contact of
most substances with huorine is suffi-
cient TO cause not mere solution, but
light, flame and fierce detonations.
Dull, inert flint takes fire when exposed
TO fluorine vapor and becomes a bril-
liant incandescent mass. Lampblack
bursts into flame, while charcoal burns
with bright scintillations. Only the
diamond is able 10 resist this powerful
solvent, TO which it does not succumb
even at high temperature. The similar
element silicon, which can be obtained
in a crystalline form closely resembling
the diamond, gives magnificent dis
play in the presence Of fiuorine, the
crystals becoming white hot and throw
ing showers of fiery spangles in all di-
rections. The heat is so intense that the
crystals melt, showing that their tenn
perature has reached l, 200 degrees @.
Phosphorus combines fiercely with
fluorine. Prussian blue, on account of
the cyanogen it contains, burns with a
beautiful pink flame; while from a
crystal of iodine placed in fiuorine vapor
heavy liquid distills with pale flame.
This liquid-an iodide of fuorine-
etches glass, and if thrown into water
Kisses like hot iron. The last named
metal becomes white hot when exposed
TO fiuorine; even iron rust behaves in
similar manner. Nearly all metals are
raised to vivid incandescence in cur
rent of the gas, many appearing very
beautiful, especially aluminium and
zinc. If the latter be slightly warmed,
it bursts into white flame too dazzling
TO gaze at or describe.
Although it has been known in vari-
Gus states OF combination for many
years, having been first discovered by
Schwankhardt of Nuremberg, in 1870,
and rediscovered by Scheele in I'LL,
fluorine was not obtained as fiuorine in
the free state until about six years ago,
when the French chemist Moissan sue
ceeded in isolating it by employing O
current of electricity from 20 or %
Bunsen batteries. The current was pass
ed through the compound of fluorine
and hydrogen known as hydrofuoric
acid, which is similar to hydrochloric
acid. To improve the conductivity of
the hydrofuoric acid it was necessary
to dissolve another fluorine compound
in the liquid. AS will readily be imag-
ined, it is not so difficult to obtain free
fuorine as to keep it when obtained
Every part of the apparatus used by NJ.
MOissan was made Of platinum, with
screw joints and w b ers of lead, which
swell on contact wI,l fiuorine, all the
shoppers being of fiuorspar. Fluorine
has powerful affinity for silicon, one
of the principal constituents of glass, so
that it was impossible to use glass yes
sells or tubes to contain the gas.
As regards the chemical nature of
huorine, it is gas at ordinary temper
allure and is the lightest member of the
series Of elements containing chlorine,
bromine and iodine. The attraction of
huorine for hydrogen exceeds that of
chlorine and is so great that if a slow
current Of fuorine gas be passed into
tube of fiuorspar containing a drop of
water a dark fog is produced, which
changes presently TO blue vapor con-
sisting Of ozone-the condensed form of
oxygen. The last named substance APP
pears to be one of the few materials
which has no affinity for fluorine Moth
ing is observed to take place between
them even when they are heated up to
1000 degrees f.
So far all experiments had been con.
Quoted with fuorine gas, which, at the
time it was isolated, resisted all at
tempts to reduce it to the liquid state.
Six years ago, however, there was no
laboratory-such as that at the Royal
misunderstanding powerful machinery
for producing liquid air or liquid oxy-
gen at the command Of the investigator.
In fact. liquid air itself was practically
unknown. BY the aid of this weapon
Professors Dewar and Moissan have sue
ceeded in liquefying fiuorine. At the
extremely low temperature Of liquid
oxygen it was found that fuorine did
not attack glass, and it was possible to
use glass vessels to hold the newly lique-
fed element. &C. 4, Townsend in
Knowledge.