Uses of Mercury (Hg)

1. Mercury
(Hg)
By
Student
Mohamed El-desoki
Chemistry & Zoology department,
Faculty of Science,
Mansoura University.
Instructor
Dr. Nagwa Nwar
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2. Mercury (Hg)
Due to concerns about the element's toxicity levels, the
use of mercury is slowly being phased out. However,
being the only metal that possesses the property of
maintaining a liquid state at room temperature, it is not
surprising that mercury has found a number of special
applications throughout past decades.
Mercury, sometimes called quicksilver, is a silver-colored
metal that is a liquid at room temperature. Useful
properties of mercury include its ability to expand when
heated, contract when cooled, remain a liquid at any
temperature and conduct electric current. However,
mercury vapor can cause damage to the nervous system
if inhaled. Although the use of mercury declined with the
awareness of the dangers it poses, it is still used for many
purposes, which was the reason for choosing this element
to my research.
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Uses of Mercury:
In the past it has been used for gold and
silver mining, light switches, batteries, in
barometers and other scientific equipment,

3. preserving wood for making hats and in many
other industries.
Because of its high density, it is used in
barometers and manometers. Because it has
a high rate of thermal expansion that is fairly
constant over a wide temperature range, it is used
extensively in thermometers.
Mercury is important as a liquid contact material
for electric switches. It is used in mercury-vapor
lamps, which emit light rich in ultraviolet
radiation; various kinds of such lamps are used for
street lighting, as sun lamps, and in "black lights"
(see lighting). Mercury is used as an electrode in
the production of chlorine and sodium hydroxide. It
is also used in certain electric batteries. With
some other metals mercury forms a special type of
alloy called an amalgam; a special amalgam
(mostly mercury, silver, and tin) is used in dentistry
for filling teeth.And is also used in mining to
separate gold from sand.
Mercury compounds have many uses.
Calomel (mercurous chloride, Hg2Cl2) is used as a
standard in electrochemical measurements and in
medicine as a purgative. Mercuric chloride
(corrosive sublimate, HgCl2) is used as an
insecticide, in rat poison, and as a disinfectant.
Mercuric oxide is used in skin ointments.
Mercuric sulfate is used as a catalyst in organic
chemistry. Vermilion, a red pigment, is mercuric
sulfide; another crystalline form of the sulfide (also
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4. used as a pigment) is black. Mercury fulminate,
Hg(CNO)2, is used as a detonator. Mercury forms
many organic compounds. Mercurochrome (in 2%
aqueous solution) is used in medicine as a topical
antiseptic. Mercury compounds were formerly
used in the treatment of syphilis.
Also Uses in Pesticides and biocides were
commonly used for the treatment and control
purpose and it can be of organic and inorganic
mercurial compounds. It can be use as an additive
in coating, in hospitals for dressing mean,
even for fabrication and laundry use.
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Red mercury:
Has yet to prove a substance called "red
mercury" because of the different interpretations
and speculation on them, but no reason to doubt
that the answer for the fact that there are "red
mercury" are present in the secret files too have not
been disclosed and may affect the national security
of countries such as Russia and the United States
of America Although the intake of the media to that
topic but it does raise speculation.
But some say it already exists,prepared from
elemental mercury, antimony interaction according
to a particular method yields a red color liquid
chemical formula (Hg2Sb2O7) scientific name
(Mercuric Pyro-Antimonate) Beroantimonat
mercury, and his name is common and widespread
among the people is the Red Mercury, So we can
say that it is used in the atomic bomb and

5. uranium enrichment. But recently the World
Health Organization welcomes the establishment of
an international treaty on mercury.
Mercury in Use Today:
New or “virgin” mercury used in products
originates from mines, mostly in Spain. The
mercury is processed, like other metals, and sold to
manufacturers to be put into many types of
consumer products. However, much of the mercury
used in North America today comes from recycled
sources, as programs to recover mercury increase,
thus reducing demand for virgin mercury.
Controlling the deliberate use or release of mercury
can be difficult because mercury tends to be used in
very small quantities but is dispersed across many
different kinds of products. In many cases the
mercury is concealed inside products or is an
additive. People using products with mercury are
generally unaware of the fact that there is mercury
in the product, making control of mercury releases
.at disposal very difficult
Mercury is still put into many consumer products
manufactured in all parts of the world. Even though
mercury is often thought of as a substance used in
“old” technology, mercury applications can be found
in notebook computers, modern telephones, new
lighting technologies and anti-lock brakes in cars
.manufactured in 2002
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6. Ancient uses of mercury continue in countries
where the mystical properties of mercury are
valued. In Mexico and other Spanish-speaking
countries, for example, amulets containing liquid
mercury are still widely available. Worn around the
neck, they are thought to protect the wearer from ill-health.
In some cultures, liquid mercury is sprinkled
in homes, or even around children’s cribs, with the
idea that this will help ward off evil spirits. The lack
of awareness of the potential harm, combined with
the cultural and historic factors involved, makes this
a challenging use to address.
Mercury is still used in products for several
reasons. First, mercury is a very cheap substance
given the many commercially valuable services it
provides. Second, the occurrence of acute mercury
poisoning has declined following better industrial
practices and the new medical evidence on the
risks of low-level exposure is not well-known.
Finally, many companies that use mercury are
unwilling to change their practices if it means having
to spend money to modify their product, unless they
are ordered to do so by government regulations.
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Done.
Mohamed Eldesoki
Director
Dr. Nagwa Nwar