Calcium Silicalcyanide, Ca(SiAl)2

Calcium Silicalcyanide, Ca(SiAl)₂ is regarded by Reynolds as analogous to calcium cyanide, silicon taking the place of carbon, and aluminium of nitrogen. It may be obtained by the action of calcium, in small portions at a time, on a fused mixture of silicon and aluminium. After cooling, a dark grey mass showing brilliant crystalline faces remains. It is readily attacked by solutions of sodium and potassium hydroxides and by hydrochloric acid, slowly by boiling nitric acid, and not at all by hot sulphuric acid. Oxygen has not much action until the temperature of the oxyhydrogen flame has been reached, but, if heated to low redness in a stream of moist oxygen, the compound is converted into a white mass of the same composition as the mineral anorthite, CaAl₂Si₂O₈.