Mercuriamide chloride

It has been found that sodium amide may be replaced by the readily available mercuriamide chloride volatile hydrogen cyanide results. The net reaction may, perhaps, be written ... 

The use of mercuriamide chloride has the advantage over sodium amide in this procedure in that, because of the production of mercuric sulfide, no thiocyanate is formed with organic sulfur-bearing compounds. 

Procedure. The test is conducted in a micro test tube fixed in an asbestos board support. A small amount of the sample or the evaporation residue firom a drop of the test solution is mixed with mercuriamide chloride or with a mixture of mercuric oxide and ammonium chloride. The open end of the test tube is covered with a disk of filter paper moistened with the reagent solution. The heating is begun at the upper end of the test tube and moved downward. A blue stain appears on the paper if the response is positive. 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

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