for this purpose. But as it is impossible to construct a perfectly hermetically closed furnace of this kind, it is necessary to increase the draught by artificial means, or to oblige the hydrochloric acid gas to pass through those arrangements in which it is to be condensed. This is done by connecting the ends of the tubes through which the hydrochloric acid gas escapes from the furnace with high chimneys, where a strong draught is set up from the combustion of the fuel. This causes a current of hydrochloric acid gas to pass through the absorbing apparatus in a definite direction. Here it encounters a current of water flowing in the opposite direction, by which it is absorbed. It is not customary to cause the acid to pass through the water, but only to bring it into contact with the surface of the water. The absorption apparatus consists of large earthenware vessels having four orifices, two above and two lateral ones in the wide central portion of each vessel. The upper orifices serve for connecting the vessels together, and the hydrochloric acid gas escaping from the furnace passes through these tubes. The water for absorbing the acid enters at the upper, and flows out from the lower, vessel, passing through the lateral orifices in the vessels. The water flows from the chimney towards the furnace and it is therefore evident that the outflowing water will be the most saturated with acid, of which it actually contains about 20 per cent. The absorption in these vessels is not complete. The ultimate absorption of the hydrochloric acid is carried on in the so-called coke towers, which usually consist of two adjacent chimneys. A lattice-work of bricks is laid on the bottom of these towers, on which coke is piled up to the top of the tower. Water, distributing itself over the coke, trickles down to the bottom of the tower, and in so doing absorbs the hydrochloric acid gas rising upwards.
It will be readily understood that hydrochloric acid may be obtained from all other metallic chlorides.39
It is frequently formed in other reactions, many of which we shall meet with in the further course of this work. It is, for instance, formed by the action of water on sulphur chloride, phosphorus chloride, antimony chloride, &c.
Hydrochloric acid is a colourless gas having a pungent suffocating odour and an acid taste. This gas fumes in air and attracts moisture, because it forms vapour containing a compound of hydrochloric acid and water. Hydrochloric acid is liquefied by cold, and under a pressure of 40 atmospheres, into a colourless liquid of sp. gr. 0·908 at 0°,40 boiling point -35° and absolute boiling point +52°. We have already seen (Chapter I.) that hydrochloric acid combines very energetically with water, and in so doing evolves a considerable amount of heat. The solution saturated in the cold attains a density 1·23. On heating such a solution containing about 45 parts of acid per 100 parts, the hydrochloric acid gas is expelled with only a slight admixture of aqueous vapour. But it is impossible to entirely separate the whole of the hydrochloric acid from the water by this means, as could be done in the case of an ammoniacal solution. The temperature required for the evolution of the gas rises and reaches 110°–111°, and after this remains constant—that is, a solution having a constant boiling point is obtained (as with HNO3), which, however, does not (Roscoe and Dittmar) present a constant composition under different pressures, because the hydrate is decomposed in distillation, as is seen from the determinations of its vapour density (Bineau). Judging from the facts (1) that with decrease of the pressure under which the distillation proceeds the solution of constant boiling point approaches to a composition of 25 p.c. of hydrochloric acid,41 (2) that by passing a stream of dry air through a solution of hydrochloric acid there is obtained in the residue a solution which also approaches to 25 p.c. of acid, and more nearly as