CHAPTER XII SODIUM

was one of the greatest discoveries in chemistry, not only because through it the conception of elements became broader and more correct, but especially because in sodium, chemical properties were observed which were but feebly shown in the other metals more familiarly known. This discovery was made in 1807 by the English chemist Davy by means of the galvanic current. By connecting with the positive pole (of copper or carbon) a piece of caustic soda (moistened in order to obtain electrical conductivity), and boring a hole in it filled with mercury connected with the negative pole of a strong Volta's pile, Davy observed that on passing the current a peculiar metal dissolved in the mercury, less volatile than mercury, and capable of decomposing water, again forming caustic soda. In this way (by analysis and synthesis) Davy demonstrated the compound nature of alkalis. On being decomposed by the galvanic current, caustic soda disengages hydrogen and sodium at the negative pole and oxygen at the positive pole. Davy showed that the metal formed volatilises at a red heat, and this is its most important physical property in relation to its extraction, all later methods being founded on it. Besides this Davy observed that sodium easily oxidises, its vapour taking fire in air, and the latter circumstance was for a long time an obstacle to the easy preparation of this metal. The properties of sodium were subsequently more thoroughly investigated by Gay-Lussac and Thénard, who observed that metallic iron at a high temperature was capable of reducing caustic soda to sodium.³⁹ Brunner latterly discovered that not only iron, but also charcoal, has this property, although hydrogen has not.⁴⁰ But still the methods of extracting sodium were very troublesome, and consequently it was a great rarity. The principal obstacle to its production was that an endeavour was made to condense the easily-oxidising vapours of sodium in vacuo in complicated apparatus. For this reason, when Donny and Maresca, having thoroughly studied the matter, constructed a specially simple condenser, the production of sodium was much facilitated. Furthermore, in practice the most important epoch in the history of the production of sodium is comprised in the investigation of Sainte-Claire Deville, who avoided the complex methods in vogue up to that time, and furnished those simple means by which the production of sodium is now rendered feasible in chemical works.