Elements of Chemistry, / In a New Systematic Order, Containing all the Modern Discoveries

by Antoine Laurent Lavoisier

Table of the Binary Combinations of Phosphorus with the Simple Substances.

Simple Substances.	Resulting Compounds.
Caloric	Phosphoric gas.
	{ Oxyd of phosphorus.
Oxygen	{ Phosphorous acid.
	{ Phosphoric acid.
Hydrogen	Phosphuret of hydrogen.
Azote	Phosphuret of azote.
Sulphur	Phosphuret of Sulphur.
Charcoal	Phosphuret of charcoal.
Metallic substances	Phosphuret of metals(A).
Potash}
Soda}
Ammoniac}	Phosphuret of Potash, Soda, &c.(B)
Lime}
Barytes}
Magnesia}
Argill}

[Note A: Of all these combinations of phosphorus with metals, that with iron only is hitherto known, forming the substance formerly called Siderite; neither is it yet ascertained whether, in this combination, the phosphorus be oxygenated or not.—A.]

[Note B: These combinations of phosphorus with the alkalies and earths are not yet known; and, from the experiments of Mr Gengembre, they appear to be impossible—A.]

Sect. IX.—Observations upon Phosphorus, and its Combinations.

Phosphorus is a simple combustible substance, which was unknown to chemists till 1667, when it was discovered by Brandt, who kept the process secret; soon after Kunkel found out Brandt's method of preparation, and made it public. It has been ever since known by the name of Kunkel's phosphorus. It was for a long time procured only from urine; and, though Homberg gave an account of the process in the Memoirs of the Academy for 1692, all the philosophers of Europe were supplied with it from England. It was first made in France in 1737, before a committee of the Academy at the Royal Garden. At present it is procured in a more commodious and more oeconomical manner from animal bones, which are real calcareous phosphats, according to the process of Messrs Gahn, Scheele, Rouelle, &c. The bones of adult animals being calcined to whiteness, are pounded, and passed through a fine silk sieve; pour upon the fine powder a quantity of dilute sulphuric acid, less than is sufficient for dissolving the whole. This acid unites with the calcareous earth of the bones into a sulphat of lime, and the phosphoric acid remains free in the liquor. The liquid is decanted off, and the residuum washed with boiling water; this water which has been used to wash out the adhering acid is joined with what was before decanted off, and the whole is gradually evaporated; the dissolved sulphat of lime cristallizes in form of silky threads, which are removed, and by continuing the evaporation we procure the phosphoric acid under the appearance of a white pellucid glass. When this is powdered, and mixed with one third its weight of charcoal, we procure very pure phosphorus by sublimation. The phosphoric acid, as procured by the above process, is never so pure as that obtained by oxygenating pure phosphorus either by combustion or by means of nitric acid; wherefore this latter should always be employed in experiments of research.

Phosphorus is found in almost all animal substances, and in some plants which give a kind of animal analysis. In all these it is usually combined with charcoal, hydrogen, and azote, forming very compound radicals, which are, for the most part, in the state of oxyds by a first degree of union with oxygen. The discovery of Mr Hassenfratz, of phosphorus being contained in charcoal, gives reason to suspect that it is more common in the vegetable kingdom than has generally been supposed: It is certain, that, by proper processes, it may be procured from every individual of some of the families of plants.

As no experiment has hitherto given reason to suspect that phosphorus is a compound body, I have arranged it with the simple or elementary substances. It takes fire at the temperature of 32° (104°) of the thermometer.

Table of the Binary Combinations of Charcoal.

Simple Substances.	Resulting Compounds.
	{Oxyd of charcoal	Unknown.
Oxygen	{Carbonic acid	Fixed air, chalky acid.
Sulphur	Carburet of sulphur}
Phosphorus	Carburet of phosphorus}	Unknown.
Azote	Carburet of azote}
	{Carbono-hydrous radical
Hydrogen	{Fixed and volatile oils
		{Of these only the carburets of
Metallic substances	Carburets of metals	{iron and zinc are known, and
		{were formerly called Plumbago.
Alkalies and earths	Carburet of potash, &c.	Unknown.