The union of nitrous oxide with soda is effected in the same manner
as with potash. The alkali, mingled by solution and evaporation, with
either sulphite of soda, or of potash, is exposed to nitrous gas; the
nitrous oxide is condensed by it at the moment of generation, and the
combination effected.
As far as I have been able to observe, nitrous oxide is not absorbed to
so great an extent by soda, as potash.
I have not yet been able to obtain the combination of nitrous
oxide with soda in its pure state. To the attainment of this end,
difficulties identical with those noticed in the last section present
themselves. It is extremely difficult to procure the soda perfectly
free from carbonic acid, and though by using sulphite of potash the
sulphate formed is easily separated, yet still evaporation and
crystalisation will not disengage the sulphite and carbonate from the
new compound.
The compound of soda and nitrous oxide, mingled with a little sulphite
and carbonate of soda, was rapidly soluble, both in warm and cold
water, without effervescence. Its solution, heated to ebullition, gave
out no gas. The taste of the solid salt was caustic, and more acrid
than that of the mixture of carbonate and sulphite of soda. When cast
upon zinc in fusion, it burnt with a white flame. When heated to 400°
or 500°, it gave out nitrous oxide with rapidity. Nitrous oxide was
expelled from it by the sulphuric, muriatic, and carbonic acids, _I
believe_, by sulphurated hydrogene.[160]
[160] For when a little of the mixed salt was introduced into a
solution of sulphurated hydrogene, globules of gas were given out
during the solution.