Note 60 — Chapter XIV · THE VALENCY AND SPECIFIC HEAT OF THE METALS. MAGNESIUM. CALCIUM, STRONTIUM, BARIUM, AND BERYLLIUM

Beryllium oxide, like aluminium oxide, is precipitated from solutions of its salts by alkalis as a gelatinous hydroxide, BeH2O2, which, like alumina, is soluble in an excess of caustic potash or soda. This reaction may be taken advantage of for distinguishing and separating beryllium from aluminium, because when the alkaline solution is diluted with water and boiled, beryllium hydroxide is precipitated, whilst the alumina remains in solution. The solubility of the beryllium oxide at once clearly indicates its feeble basic properties, and, as it were, separates this oxide from the class of the alkaline earths. But on arranging the oxides of the above-described metals of the alkaline earths according to their decreasing atomic weights we have the series

BaO, SrO, CaO, MgO, BeO,

in which the basic properties and solubility of the oxides consecutively and distinctly decrease until we reach a point when, had we not known of the existence of the beryllium oxide, we should expect to find in its place an oxide insoluble in water and of feeble basic properties. If an alcoholic solution of caustic potash be saturated with the hydrate of BeO, and evaporated under the receiver of an air pump, it forms silky crystals BeK₂O₂.

Another characteristic of the salts of beryllium is that they give with aqueous ammonia a gelatinous precipitate which is soluble in an excess of ammonium carbonate like the precipitate of magnesia; in this beryllium oxide differs from the oxide of aluminium. Beryllium oxide easily forms a carbonate which is insoluble in water, and resembles magnesium carbonate in many respects. Beryllium sulphate is distinguished by its considerable solubility in water—thus, at the ordinary temperature it dissolves in an equal weight of water; it crystallises out from its solutions in well-formed crystals, which do not change in the air, and contain BeSO₄,4H₂O. When ignited it leaves beryllium oxide, but this oxide, after prolonged ignition, is re-dissolved by sulphuric acid, whilst aluminium sulphate, after a similar treatment, leaves aluminium oxide, which is no longer soluble in acids. With a few exceptions, the salts of beryllium crystallise with great difficulty, and to a considerable extent resemble the salts of magnesium; thus, for instance, beryllium chloride is analogous to magnesium chloride. It is volatile in an anhydrous state, and in a hydrated state it decomposes, with the evolution of hydrochloric acid.