Chap. V Of Tin
Process I.
To extract Tin from its Ore.
Break your Tin ore into a coarse powder, and by washing carefully separate from it all the heterogeneous matters, and ores of a different kind, that may be mixed therewith. Then dry it, and roast it in a strong degree of fire, till no more Arsenical vapour rise from it. When the ore is roasted, reduce it to a fine powder, and mix it thoroughly with twice its weight of the black flux well dried, a fourth part of its weight of clean iron filings, together with as much borax and pitch; put the mixture into a crucible; over all put Sea-salt to the thickness of four fingers, and cover the crucible close.
Set the crucible thus prepared in a melting furnace: apply at first a moderate and slow degree of fire, till the flame of the pitch, which will escape through the joint of the cover, disappear entirely. Then suddenly raise your fire, and urge it with rapidity to the degree necessary for melting the whole mixture. As soon as the whole is in fusion take the crucible out of the furnace, and separate the Regulus from the scoria.
OBSERVATIONS.
All Tin ores contain a considerable quantity of Arsenic, and no Sulphur at all, or at most very little. Hence it comes that, though Tin be the lightest of all metals, its ore is nevertheless much heavier than any other; Arsenic being much heavier than Sulphur, of which the ores of every other kind always contain a pretty large proportion. This ore is moreover very hard, and is not brought to a fine powder with so much ease as the rest.
These properties of Tin ore furnish us with the means of separating it easily by lotion, not only from earthy and stony parts, but even from the other ores which may be mixed with it. And this is of the greater advantage on two accounts, viz. because Tin cannot endure, without the destruction of a great part thereof, the degree of fire necessary to scorify the refractory matters which accompany its ore; and again because this metal unites so easily with Iron and Copper, the ores of which are pretty commonly blended with Tin ore, that, after the reduction, it would be found adulterated with a mixture of these two metals, if they were not separated from it before the fusion.
But sometimes the Iron ore confounded with that of Tin is very heavy, and is not easily pulverized; whence it comes to pass that it cannot be separated therefrom by washing only. In that case the magnet must be employed to separate it, after the ore hath been roasted.
Roasting is moreover necessary for Tin ore, in order to dissipate the Arsenic which volatilizes, calcines, or destroys one part of the Tin, and reduces the rest to a short, brittle substance, like a Semi-metal. The ore is known to be sufficiently roasted when no more fumes rise from it; when it has lost the smell of garlic; and when it does not whiten a clean plate of Iron held over it.
Tin being one of those metals which are most easily calcined, it is necessary in reducing its ore to employ such matters as may furnish it with phlogiston. In order to defend it from the contact of the air, which always accelerates the calcination of metallic substances, the mixture is to be covered with Sea salt; and the addition of pitch helps to increase the quantity of phlogiston.
Process II
The Calcination of Tin.
Into an unglazed earthen dish put the quantity of Tin you intend to calcine; melt it, and keep stirring it from time to time. Its surface will be covered with a greyish white powder: continue the calcination till all your Tin be converted into such a powder, which is the Calx of Tin.
OBSERVATIONS.
Though the calcination of metalline substances is promoted by exposing them, in powder, or in filings, to the action of fire, and by ordering it so that they may not melt, because they present a much smaller surface when melted than when unmelted; yet we have not directed this precaution to be used in calcining Tin. The reason is, this metal is so fusible that it cannot endure the degree of fire requisite to destroy its phlogiston without melting, and of course, though Tin calcines easily, the operation is nevertheless tedious, because the melted metal presents but a small surface to be acted on by the fire and the air. This inconvenience may be partly remedied, and the operation greatly expedited, by dividing the quantity of Tin to be calcined into several small parcels, and exposing them to the fire in separate vessels, so that they may not re-unite when melted, and form one single mass.
Leaf Tin cast on Nitre in actual fusion causes it to deflagrate and fulminate; and from this mixture there rises a white vapour, which is converted into flowers when it meets with any obstacle to impede its flying off entirely.
Mr. Geoffroy, who went through a course of experiments on Tin, an account whereof may be seen in the Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences, found that from the colour of the calx of that metal a judgment may be formed of its degree of purity, and nearly of the quantity and quality of the metallic substances with which it is alloyed. The experiments tried on this subject by that eminent Chymist are very curious.
He performed the calcination in a crucible, which he heated to a cherry-red, and kept up the same degree of fire from the beginning to the end of the operation. The calx which formed upon his metal, in that degree of heat, appeared like small white scales, a little reddish on the under side. He pushed it to one side as it formed, to the end that it might not cover the surface of the metal, which, like all others, requires the contact of the air to turn it into a calx.
“While he was making these calcinations, he had an opportunity of observing a curious fact, of which no body before him had ever taken notice; probably because no body had ever calcined Tin by the same method. The fact is, that during the calcination of the Tin, whether you break the pellicle which forms on the surface of the metal while in red-hot fusion, or whether you let it remain without touching it, you perceive in several places a small swell of a certain matter, which bursts and makes its way through the pellicle. This matter puffs up, grows red, at the same instant takes fire, and darts out a small whitish flame, as vivid and as brilliant as that of Zinc, when urged by a fire strong enough to sublime it into flowers. The vividness of this flame may be further compared to that of several small grains of phosphorus of urine fired and gently dropped on boiling water. From this bright flame a white vapour exhales; after which the swelled mass partly crumbles down, and turns to a light white powder, sometimes spotted with red, according to the force of the fire. After this momentary ignition, there arise stronger, more numerous, or more frequent heavings of matter, out of which issues a good deal of white fume, that may be intercepted by a cover of tin-plate or copper fitted to the crucible, and appears to be the flowers of Tin, which in some measure corrode these metals. Hence Mr. Geoffroy conjectures, with a great deal of probability, that their sublimation is promoted by a portion of Arsenic. When the crust formed by this calx comes to be too thick, or in too great a quantity, to be pushed on one side, so as to leave part of the metal uncovered, Mr. Geoffroy puts out the fire, because no more calx would be formed: the communication of the external air with the Tin in fusion being absolutely necessary thereto, as hath been already said. In this operation it is to be observed that, if the fire be too slow, neither the inflammation of the sulphureous particles, nor the white fumes that rise, will be so distinctly perceived, as when the fire is of the degree requisite to keep the crucible just of a cherry-red heat.
“Mr. Geoffroy having taken off this first calx began the calcination anew. In this second heat the buddings or heavings were more considerable, and shot up in the form of cauli-flowers; but were still composed of little scales. The thoroughly calcined portion of this vegetation was likewise white and red; and the inferior surfaces of some little bits thereof were wholly red. When these calcinations are continued, sulphureous vapours rise seemingly of another kind than those which appeared in the beginning; for all the calx made by the first heat was perfectly white: whereas in the second it begins to be spotted here and there with a tinge of black. Mr. Geoffroy was obliged to go through a course of twelve several calcinations before he could convert two ounces of Tin into a calx. He had the opportunity, during these several calcinations, to observe that after the fourth, and sometimes after the third, the red spots of the calx decrease, and the black increase; that the germinations cease; that the crust of the calx remains flat; that in the twelfth fire the Tin yields no more of this scaly crust; that towards the end the undulations of the fused metal appear no longer; and that the small remainder of calx is mixed with several very minute grains of metal, which seem much harder than Tin. Mr. Geoffroy could not collect a sufficient quantity thereof to cupel them, and satisfy himself whether or no they were Silver.”
Though Tin, and all the imperfect metals in general, seem converted to a calx, and lose the metalline form, by one single calcination, and that a slight one; yet they are not wholly deprived of their phlogiston: for if the calx of Tin, for instance, prepared according to the process above delivered, be cast upon Nitre in fusion, it will make that salt deflagrate very perceptibly; a convincing proof that it still contains much inflammable matter. If therefore a calx be required absolutely free from phlogiston, this first calx must be recalcined by a more violent fire, and the calcination continued till all the phlogiston be dissipated.
“Mr. Geoffroy, being desirous of having his calx of Tin very pure and perfectly calcined, exposed once more to the action of fire the twelve portions of calx obtained by his former calcinations. But, as it would have been too tedious to re-calcine them all separately, he made four parcels of the whole, each consisting of three taken according to the order in which they were first calcined; and gave to each a fire sufficiently strong, and long enough continued, to calcine them as thoroughly as was possible. After this second calcination he found them all of a most beautiful white, except the first parcel: as that consisted of the portions obtained by the three first heats, in all of which there were scales tinged with red, it still retained a stain of carnation, though hardly perceptible. Agreeably to the general rule, the two ounces of Tin gained in weight by being thus calcined; and the increase was two drams and fifty seven grains.
“Mr. Geoffroy observes, that no Tin, but what is absolutely pure, will yield a perfectly white calx. He calcined in this manner several other parcels of Tin that were impure and variously alloyed; each of which produced a calx differently coloured, according to the nature and quantity of its alloy: whence he justly concludes, that calcination is a very good method of trying the fineness of Tin, or its degree of purity.” The particulars of Mr. Geoffroy’s experiments on this subject, which are very curious, may be seen in the Memoirs of the Academy for 1738.
It is proper to take notice that a man should be very cautious how he exposes himself to the vapours of Tin, because they are dangerous; this metal being very justly suspected by Chymists of containing something Arsenical.
Process III
The dissolution of Tin by Acids, The Smoking Liquor of Libavius.
Put into a glass vessel what quantity you please of fine Tin cut into little bits. Pour on it thrice as much aqua regis, compounded of two parts aqua fortis weakened with an equal quantity of very pure water, and one part Spirit of Salt. An ebullition will arise, and the Tin will be very rapidly dissolved; especially if the quantities of metal and of aqua regis be considerable.
OBSERVATIONS.
Tin is soluble by all the Acids; but aqua regis dissolves it best of any. Yet in this dissolution it comes to pass that part of the dissolved Tin precipitates of its own accord to the bottom of the vessel, in the form of a white powder. This solution of Tin is very fit for preparing the purple-coloured precipitate of Gold. For this purpose the solution of Tin must be let fall, drop by drop, into a solution of Gold. Spirit of Nitre dissolves Tin nearly as aqua regis does; but it occasions a greater quantity of calx.
If two or three parts of Oil of Vitriol be poured on one part of Tin, and if the vessel in which the mixture is made be exposed to such a degree of heat as to evaporate all the moisture, there will remain a tenacious matter sticking to the sides of the vessel. If water be poured on this matter, and it be then exposed a second time to the fire, it will dissolve entirely, excepting a small portion of a glutinous substance, which also may be dissolved in fresh Oil of Vitriol.
The Acid of Sea-salt may be combined with Tin by the following process. Mix perfectly, by trituration in a marble mortar, an amalgam of two ounces of fine Tin, and two ounces and a half of Quick-silver, with as much Corrosive Sublimate. As soon as the mixture is completed, put it into a glass retort, and distil with the same precautions as we directed to be used in preparing concentrated and smoking Acids. There will first come over into the receiver some drops of a limpid liquor, which will be soon followed by an elastic spirit that will issue out with impetuosity. At last some flowers, and a saline tenacious matter, will rise into the neck of the retort. Then stop your distillation, and pour into a glass bottle the liquor you will find in the receiver. This liquor continually exhales a considerable quantity of dense, white fumes, as long as it is allowed to have a free communication with the air.
The product of this distillation is a combination of the Acid of Sea-salt with Tin. As the affinity of Tin with this Acid is greater than that of Mercury, the Acid contained in the Corrosive Sublimate quits the Mercury, wherewith it was united, to join the Tin; which it volatilizes so as to make it rise with itself in a limpid form. We make use of the amalgam of Tin with Quick-silver, because we are thereby enabled to mix the Corrosive Sublimate perfectly therewith, as the success of the operation requires it should be.
In this experiment the Tin is volatilized, and the Acid of Sea-salt, which is exceedingly concentrated, flies off incessantly in the form of white vapours. This compound is known in Chymistry by the name of Smoking Liquor of Libavius; a name derived from its quality, and from its Inventor. Tin dissolved by Acids is easily separated from them by Alkalis. It always precipitates in the form of a white calx.