A N T I M O N Y : ITS HISTORY, CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY ...

THE CHEMISTKY OF ANTIMONY. 21
a copper sulphate solution is added to a solution of tartar emetic.
A solution of alkaline antimonite has a reducing character; for
example, chromates can be thus reduced to chromites, etc.
Antimonious Oxyhaloids.—When water is allowed to act upon
the halogen combinations of antimony, it is observed that there
results a deposit of a white crystalline material. By hydrolysis, a
basic salt of antimony produces :—
(la) Antimonious ojcyfluoride, Sb4O3FG. This is obtained by evaporating
a solution of antimony trifiuoride. FC1 is evaporated off,
and a white oxyfluoride is left behind.
(lb) Sb8OrF10 was obtained by Fliickigen from the action of
humidity upon the trifiuoride.
(2) Antimonious oxychloride. This lias long been known as
the product of the action of water upon antimony trichloride.
Paracelsus (1493-1541), Glauber, and Basil Valentine wrote about
the methods to obtain it. They described it as a white powder and
called it mercurius vitce. Later, Victor Algarotus, a physician, used
it as a medicine, and hence it came to be called Algaroth powder. Tn
1871 Sabanejew first succeeded in unravelling its chemical composition.
According to him, the first product of water acting upon the trichloride
is SbOOl, which, when again acted upon, changes to Sb4O5Cl2.
Still later, van Bremmelen, Meerburg, and Noodt found another
oxychloride whose probable composition is 2SbOCl.SbCl3 = Sb3O2Cl5.
(2a) SbOCl is the normal oxychloride, giving rise to beautiful
crystals. It is soluble in bicarbide of sulphur, benzol, and chloroform,
but not in water, alcohol, or ether.
(2b) Sb4Or>Cl2 is not soluble in alcohol, but is soluble in hydrochloric
acid and tartaric acid. It is the principal constituent of
Algaroth powder.
(2c) Sb8O2Cl5 is decomposed by water, with the formation of SbOCl.
(2d) Sb8OCl22 or SbOCl + 7SbCl3 (Schneider and Sabanejew).
(2e) SbOClg.
(2/) Sb,{OClla or SbOCl3 + 2SbCl6 ( Williams).
(2#) Sb:{04Cl7 or 2SbOCl3 + SbOaCl (Williams).
(2h) SbsOuClo (Gooke, Sahanejew, Frenzel).
(2i) 10Sl)4Or)C\.
(3a) Antimonixnis oxybroniide^ Sl>4Br206 (Cooke, JSerullas, and
Mac-Ynov).
(3b) SbOBr (Cooke).
(4a) Anti-itloniom oxyiodide, Sl>I4r>, yi^llowiwh in colour.
(4b) SbOI.
(4c) Sb4O5I8.