Zirconium Sulphide and Oxysulphide

According to Berzelius and Paykull, zirconium disulphide, ZrS₂, is formed when zirconium is heated in sulphur vapour. The metal employed by these workers was, however, highly impure, and the nature of the product obtained uncertain. Fremy made an unsuccessful attempt to prepare a sulphide by heating zirconia in an atmosphere of carbon disulphide; but Hauser, after heating zirconium sulphate in a current of dry air at 380°-400° C., raised it to a red heat in a stream of hydrogen sulphide, and thus obtained zirconium oxysulphide, ZrOS, as a bright yellow powder which easily takes fire spontaneously in the air.