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What is mercury metal made of?
The metallic form is refined from mercuric sulphide ore by heating the ore to temperatures above 540º C. This vaporises the mercury in the ore, and the vapours are then captured and cooled to form the liquid metal mercury.
What ore is mercury made of?
cinnabar
Ores. There are more than 25 known minerals containing mercury, but the principal ore mineral is cinnabar, a soft, red to reddish brown mercury sulfide. Some cinnabar deposits may also contain elemental mercury. The mineral has been found in all continents except Antarctica.
Where is mercury extracted from?
Like other metals, mercury is extracted from ores – one of the main varieties being cinnabar. It is found mostly in China, Spain and California. Droplets of liquid mercury can actually be found within the ore, though it is usually extracted through heating.
Is liquid mercury illegal to have?
Health concern. Exposure to elemental mercury can damage human health because it is toxic to the kidneys and the nervous system. Mercury use is legal in certain industrial processes, but its handling is highly regulated and monitored.
Where is mercury most commonly found?
Globally, mercury is most commonly ‘produced’ in Spain, particularly from the Almaden mine which is known for its high quality mercury. It may also be obtained from Yugoslavia, the United States (mainly California), and Italy. Mercury is obtained from an ore called cinnabar or another called calomel.
Which is the most common raw material for Mercury?
Raw Materials. Mercury is rarely found by itself in nature. Most mercury is chemically bound to other materials in the form of ores. The most common ore is red mercury sulfide (HgS), also known as cinnabar. Other mercury ores include corderoite (Hg 3 S 2 Cl 2 ), livingstonite (HgSb 4 S 8 ), montroydite (HgO), and calomel (HgCl).
Where are the deposits of mercury found in the world?
Here is a typical sequence of operations used for the modern extraction and refining of mercury. Cinnabar ore occurs in concentrated deposits located at or near the surface. About 90% of these deposits are deep enough to require underground mining with tunnels. The remaining 10% can be excavated from open pits.
Who are the largest producers of mercury in the world?
In the United States, mercury mining has also stopped, although small quantities of mercury are recovered as part of the gold refining process to avoid environmental contamination. China, Russia (formerly the USSR), Mexico, and Algeria were the largest producers of mercury in 1992.
What is the purity of commercial grade mercury?
Higher purity mercury is usually sealed in smaller glass or plastic containers for shipment. Commercial-grade mercury with 99.9% purity is called prime virgin-grade mercury. Ultrapure mercury is usually produced by the triple-distillation method and is called triple-distilled mercury.