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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Citizen Chemist => Topic started by: mercury01 on September 19, 2014, 02:38:29 PM

Title: Mercury storage and handling - minimizing evaporation
Post by: mercury01 on September 19, 2014, 02:38:29 PM

Hello,

I started to work on a laboratory that uses mercury in some teaching experiments and they put a water layer over the liquid metal to avoid it's vapour to escape from the recipient. They use arround 300mL in a beaker, exposed to air.

I don't think this is the correct procedure. Someone suggested to use liquid paraffin instead of water.

I can't find information on this in the web. Can I have some advice on this matter please?

Title: Re: Mercury storage and handling - minimizing evaporation
Post by: curiouscat on September 20, 2014, 12:24:55 AM

What's the experiment?

Title: Re: Mercury storage and handling - minimizing evaporation
Post by: mercury01 on September 21, 2014, 11:14:33 AM

Quote from: curiouscat on September 20, 2014, 12:24:55 AM

What's the experiment?

It's a plant physiology experiment, for the biology courses, where a branch is attached to a glass pipette containing water, which is immersed in liquid mercury. As the plant transpires a mercury column goes up through the pipette.

Title: Re: Mercury storage and handling - minimizing evaporation
Post by: Arkcon on September 21, 2014, 11:21:55 AM

Sounds like a mercury manometer.  Is the mercury really exposed?  Can you draw us a diagram or find a diagram of this experiment online for us to see?

Title: Re: Mercury storage and handling - minimizing evaporation
Post by: mercury01 on September 21, 2014, 07:28:22 PM

I tried to draw. If the water layer protects the mercury then I think it's not exposed but I don't know if it this works.

Title: Re: Mercury storage and handling - minimizing evaporation
Post by: billnotgatez on September 24, 2014, 05:16:07 AM

Do you put the water on top of the Mercury before placing the pipette assembly in the beaker?

Title: Re: Mercury storage and handling - minimizing evaporation
Post by: mercury01 on September 24, 2014, 02:39:25 PM

Yes, as the mercury is stored with this water layer already.