THORPE AND HAMBLY ON PHOSPHORYL TRIFLUOBIDE. 759 LXX.-On Phosphoryl Tr@uoride. By T. E. THORPE F.R.S. and F. J. HAMBLY. THE existence of oxyfluoride of phosphorus was first definitely estab-lished by Moissan who obtained it by the action of the electric spark upon a mixture of phosphorus trifluoride and oxygen. On passing the induction spark into (?I mixture of 2 vols. of the trifluoride and 1 vol. of oxygen standing over mercury a violent explosion occurs, and the new gas is produced. (Compt. rend. 102 1245.) 3 G 760 DIVERS AND RAGA OXYAMIDOSULPHONATES I n a paper on the Oxidation of Haloid Salts in the Journal fiir praktische Chemie 1880 21,438 Schulze has described tthe behaviour of various oxides upon haloid salts in absence of oxygen and states that on heating fluorides with molybdic oxide and phosphoric oxide, oxyfluoride of molybdenum and oxyfluoride of phosphorus were obtaiued.No description of the properties of these compounds is given nor do any analytical observations appear to have been made. We find that phosphorus oxyfluoride can be easily obtained by heating a n intimate mixture of cryolite and phosphorus pentoxide. The materials in the proportion of 2 parts of the finely-powdered cryolite and 3 parts of phosphoric oxide are placed in a brass tube and gently heated. The gas is readily disengaged and as soon as that which is evolved is wholly absorbed by caustic soda solution the rest may be collected at the mercurial trough. That the gas so obtained is practically pure is shown by the following numbers :-Observed. Calculated. Vapour density. 52.3 52.0 Preparation I . . . 30.136 p. c. 29.81 Determination of phosphorus-Preparation I1 30.06 , -This method of obtaining phosphorus oxyfluoride is analogous to that by which Kolbe and Lautemann prepared the oxychloride (AnnuZen 113 240) namely by heating phosphoric anhydride with common salt : 2P,O5 + 3NaC1 = POCls + 3NaP0,. We had intended to have completed our study of this gas before offering any communication on the subject but as we are no longer in a position to work in concert we have ventured to lay this short preliminary note before the Society. One of us however trusts, in a short time to be able t o present the results of a fuller,investi-gation