Note 14 — Chapter XIV · THE VALENCY AND SPECIFIC HEAT OF THE METALS. MAGNESIUM. CALCIUM, STRONTIUM, BARIUM, AND BERYLLIUM

Commercial magnesium generally contains a certain amount of magnesium nitride (Deville and Caron), Mg3N2—that is, a product of substitution of ammonia which is directly formed (as is easily shown by experiment) when magnesium is heated in nitrogen. It is a yellowish green powder, which gives ammonia and magnesia with water, and cyanogen when heated with carbonic anhydride. Pashkoffsky (1893) showed that Mg3N2 is easily formed and is the sole product when Mg is heated to redness in a current of NH3. Perfectly pure magnesium may be obtained by the action of a galvanic current.