Germanic Chloride, GeCl₄

Germanic Chloride, GeCl₄, may be prepared by the union of the elements, excess of chlorine being removed by shaking the product with mercury; or by distilling the metal or the disulphide with mercuric chloride. It is a thin, colourless liquid, having a density of 1.887 at 18° C., and boiling at 86° C.; its critical temperature is 276.9° C. and critical pressure 38 atmospheres; it does not solidify at -80° C.; its vapour density at 301.5° C. was found to be 7.43 and 7.46 (air = 1) or 107.0 and 107.4 (H = 1), theory for GeCl₄ requiring 7.40 (air = 1) or 106.6 (H = 1); it is slowly decomposed by water with separation of the hydrated dioxide, and is reduced to metal when its vapour, mixed with hydrogen, is passed through a red-hot tube.