Bismuth is nearly always found in nature in the metallic state; but occasionally it is met with as sulphide in bismuthine and as carbonate in bismutite. It is also found in some comparatively rare minerals, such as tetradymite, combined with tellurium, and associated with gold. In minute quantities it is widely distributed: it is a common constituent of most copper ores; hence it finds its way into refined copper, which is seldom free from it. It is occasionally met with in silver in sufficient quantity to interfere with the working qualities of that metal.

Bismuth compounds are used in medicine and in the manufacture of alloys. Bismuth possesses many useful properties. It has considerable commercial value, and sells at a high price.

The metal is brittle, breaks with a highly crystalline fracture, and has a characteristic reddish-yellow colour. It is almost insoluble in hydrochloric, but readily dissolves in nitric, acid; and gives, if the acid is in excess, a clear solution. Bismuth salts have a strong tendency to separate out as insoluble basic compounds; this is more especially true of the chloride which, on diluting with a large volume of water, becomes milky; the whole of the bismuth separating out. The nitrate, carbonate, and hydrate yield the oxide (Bi2O3) on ignition. This oxide closely resembles litharge. It combines with silica, forming fluid slags; and at a red heat is liquid enough to be absorbed by a cupel; in fact, bismuth may take the place of lead in cupellation. The metal itself is easily fusible, and may be separated from its ores by liquation.

The assay of bismuth by wet methods presents little difficulty, and is fairly accurate. The price of the metal is such that only methods which yield good results should be adopted ; and, since bismuth is volatile at the temperature of the furnace, and is found mixed with ores not easy to flux, as also with metals which are not easily separated by the dry method, the dry assay can only be considered as having a qualitative value.

DRY ASSAY.

By Liquation.—This is adapted to ores containing the bismuth as metal. Take 20 grams of the powdered ore and place in a crucible with a perforated bottom, put this crucible into another of about the same size and lute the joint. Lute on a cover, place in the furnace and heat to redness. The bismuth melts readily and drains into the lower crucible from which, when cold, it is taken and weighed.

By Fusion.—For fairly pure ores the process is as follows :— Take 20 grams of the ore and mix with 20 grams of fusion mixture, 10 grams of salt and 5 or 10 grams of potassium cyanide ; place in a crucible, cover, and fuse at a moderate temperature for about fifteen minutes; pour; when cold detach the metal and weigh.

For coppery ores in which the metals are present as sulphides use the fluxes just given with 2 grams of charcoal (instead of the cyanide) and a little sulphur.

For coppery ores in which the metals are present as oxides, mix 20 grams of the ore with 10 grams of fusion mixture, 4 grams of salt, 4 grams of sulphur and 2 grams of charcoal; and fuse.

A considerable percentage of bismuth is lost in these assays; it is stated as being nearly 8 per cent, of the metal present.

WET METHODS.

Detection.—Bismuth is detected by dissolving the substance in nitric or hydrochloric acid and precipitating the diluted solution with sulphuretted hydrogen. The precipitated sulphides, after digesting with soda and washing, are dissolved in nitric acid and the solution boiled with ammonium carbonate. The precipitate is washed and then warmed with dilute sulphuric acid. The solution will contain the bismuth. Add a solution of potassium iodide in excess, and boil; a yellow or dark brown solution proves that bismuth is present. Another good test for small quantities of bismuth is to add tartaric acid to the solution to be tested, and then to make it alkaline with potash. Add a few c.c. of Schneider’s liquid, and heat. A brownish-black colour is produced by as little as one part of bismuth in 200,000 of solution. The test is not applicable in the presence of mercury, copper, or manganese.

Compounds of bismuth fused with cyanide of potassium in a Berlin crucible readily give a globule of bismuth which is recognised by its appearance and fracture.

Solution and Separation.—The solution of bismuth compounds presents no difficulty. They are soluble in nitric acid or aqua regia, and, provided the solution is sufficiently acid, they remain dissolved. In separating it from other metals the solution is made up to about 100 c.c. and treated with a current of sulphuretted hydrogen. The bismuth comes down in a tolerably strong acid solution. The sulphide is decanted on to a filter and washed. It is next digested with ammonic sulphide ; or, better (especially when other metals are present), dissolved in nitric acid, and treated with an excess of ammonia and a current of sulphuretted hydrogen. The precipitate is filtered off and evaporated to dryness with nitric acid. It is taken up with a few-drops of sulphuric acid and a little water; and warmed and filtered, if necessary. The filtrate is nearly neutralised with ammonia; ammonium carbonate added in slight excess ; and the liquid heated to boiling and filtered. The bismuth will be contained in the precipitate with perhaps traces of lead, antimony, tin, or sometimes iron from incomplete separation or washing. When only traces of a precipitate are got it must be tested. The bismuth precipitate is readily soluble in dilute nitric acid.

GRAVIMETRIC DETERMINATION.

The bismuth having been separated and dissolved in nitric acid is precipitated (after dilution) by the addition of carbonate of ammonium in slight excess, and boiling. The precipitate is filtered off, washed with hot water, dried, ignited, and weighed. The ignition should be performed carefully at not above a low red heat. The oxide which is formed has, at this temperature, a dark yellow or brown colour, and becomes yellow on cooling. It is bismuthic oxide (Bi2O3) and contains 89.65 per cent, of bismuth. Fusion with potassium cyanide at a temperature just sufficient to melt the salt reduces it to the metal which falls to the bottom and runs into a globule. The button of metal may be weighed, but it often sticks tenaciously to the bottom of the crucible. The precipitation with ammonic carbonate must not be made in a sulphate or chloride solution ; since basic compounds would then be thrown down, and the result on weighing would either be too low (because of the volatilisation of the chloride), or too high (because of the retention of sulphuric acid).

Bismuth compounds in a nitric acid solution are readily decomposed by the electric current, but the deposited bismuth is not coherent. It comes down in shaggy tufts which are difficult to wash and easy to oxidise.

VOLUMETRIC ASSAY.

There are two methods which have been proposed; one based on the precipitation as chromate and the estimation of the chromic acid ; and the other on the precipitation as oxalate and subsequent titration with permanganate of potash. These offer little advantage over the easy gravimetric determination.

COLORIMETRIC METHOD.

Bismuth iodide dissolves in excess of potassium iodide, forming a yellow-coloured solution, indistinguishable in colour from that given by iodine. The colour, however, is not removed by boiling or by sulphurous acid. Since none of the commoner metals give such a colour, and free iodine is easily separated by boiling, this method is specially suited for small determinations of bismuth.

It requires a solution of bismuth, made by dissolving 0.1 gram of bismuth in a drop or so of nitric acid, evaporating with a little sulphuric acid and diluting with water to 1 litre. 1 c.c. will contain 0.1 milligram of bismuth. And a solution of sulphurous acid, made by diluting 10 c.c. of the commercial acid to 1 litre with water.

The determination is made in the usual way : 50 c.c. of the prepared solution, which should not carry more than 0.75 milligram nor less than 0.01 milligram of bismuth, are placed in a Nessler tube and the colour compared with that observed in a similar tube containing water and potassium iodide on adding the standard solution of bismuth.

The assay solution is prepared by separating the bismuth with sulphuretted hydrogen, boiling the precipitate with nitric acid, and evaporating with sulphuric acid. Take up with water, add 10 or 20 c.c. of solution of potassium iodide, boil off any iodine liberated, dilute, filter, and make up to 100 c.c. According to the depth of colour take 10, 20, or 50 c.c. and transfer to the Nessler tube. Add a few c.c. of the solution of sulphurous acid. Into the other Nessler tube put as much potassium iodide solution as is contained in the assay tube, with sulphurous acid and water to within a few c.c. of the bulk. Then add the standard bismuth solution till the tints are equal.

The student must be careful not to confuse the colour of the bismuth iodide with that of free iodine. If the yellow colour is removed by boiling and returns on standing it is due altogether to iodine ; if it is lessened by the addition of a few drops of the dilute sulphurous acid, it is in part due to it. Hence the necessity of having a little free sulphurous acid in each tube. A strong solution must not be used, since it liberates iodine from potassium iodide.

The following experiments illustrate the effect of variation in the conditions of the assay:—
Effect of Varying Temperature.—At a higher temperature the colour is somewhat lessened.

Effect of Free Acid.—

Hydrochloric acid almost completely removes the colour, which, however, is restored by the addition of a few crystals of potassium iodide.

Effect of Alkalies.—Ammonia, soda, or potash destroys the colour, but it is restored on acidifying with nitric or sulphuric acid.

Effect of Ammonic Salts.—The following table shows the results after addition of ammonic salts :—

Ammonic chloride, like hydrochloric acid, removes the colour, which may be restored on the addition of more potassium iodide. Nitrates and sulphates do not thus interfere.

Effect of Foreign Salts.—Sodic hyposulphite almost completely removes the colour. Copper salts liberate iodine; but when this has been removed by boiling and the cuprous iodide has been filtered off there is no further interference. Dilute solutions of lead salts give no colour.

PRACTICAL EXERCISES.

1. A fusible alloy is made up of 8 parts of bismuth, 5 of lead, and 3 of tin. What weight of oxide of bismuth, Bi2O3,would you get on the analysis of 1 gram of it ?
2. What weight of bismuth can be got from 2 grams of the subnitrate BiONO3. H2O ?
3. How would you detect and separate arsenic, lead, and copper in a sample of bismuth ?