Nitrate of lead is prepared by dissolving litharge or white lead, or metallic lead, in an excess of nitric acid, taking care in the latter case to keep the acid in excess.

The hot solution, when saturated, deposits on cooling regular octahedron crystals of nitrate of lead, which arc sometimes transparent, and sometimes opalescent, but in each case anhydrous. The manufacturer of matches can make it more easily when he prepares the bi-oxide of lead, by evaporating the acid solution; the nitrate of lead crystallizes on cooling. Cold water dissolves only about 1/7 of its weight of nitrate of lead, while it is much more soluble in hot water. Crystals of nitrate of lead decrepitate on hot coals, and feed the combustion like all the nitrates. Nitrate of lead is decomposed by heat into hyponitric acid, which is disengaged, and protoxide of lead which remains. By boiling a solution of nitrate of lead with the oxide or carbonate of lead, a liquid is obtained, which deposits, on cooling, large crystals of a basic nitrate (2PbO,NO+HO).

A nitrate of lead, possessing still higher basic properties is obtained by treating the nitrate or bi-basic nitrate with ammonia, when a white precipitate of the formula (4PbON05 +3HO) is formed. A large excess of ammonia decomposes this precipitate, and leaves hy-dratcd oxide of lead.