Does anyone know a cheap source for mercury metal, wich is ampoule sealed?
I want some for display purposes. I only need a few mL at most , ampouled.a_bab - 31-3-2008 at 03:43
I can help you if you like, I glass seal my own in Vials, I have about 50g of mercury metal (more than enough for me), and would be happy to send you
a little if you have a paypal acct.
if you wait a bit, I`ll take a picture and post it here.
excuse the blur, but the macro isn`t working on my camera.
[Edited on 31-3-2008 by YT2095]Jor - 31-3-2008 at 04:18
Yes, YT2095, I would be very interested in the mercury. I do have a PayPal acount.
But you live in the UK, I live in Holland. Is it possible to send an ampoule , wich may break? If yes, how much total money do you want for the
ampoule + shippings?
Am I getting the ampoule in the picture then, or a new one? Please note how much mercury will be in the ampoule if you make a new one.
And where do you get those mercury switches? I have a very old house. So is it in the electrical circuit or something?
[Edited on 31-3-2008 by Jor]YT2095 - 31-3-2008 at 04:33
I`ll send you the one in the pic if you like, that`ll make describing it a load easier
I don`t know how much in mililitres it is, but there`s a couple of gram at least, and it does show the mercury off quite nicely (although the picture
above doesn`t do it justice).
Yes I post to Holland quite regularly (to Woelen), so that`s not a problem.
as for postage cost I have no idea, the best thing to do would be for me to just post it and let you know how much it was (shouldn`t be more than
2GBP).
and if it`s for Display and not to be destroyed for use, then you can have it as a Gift Jor - 31-3-2008 at 05:19
Yea , the one in the pic would be great
Yes its for display purposes
If I would want to use it for other purposes, I would just buy the 100gram for 19,00 or something from the chemical supplier.
I will give you my adress via eMail. What's your eMail? <sub>{Edit by Nicodem: personal email data removed on request}</sub>
And 2GBP is a very good shipping costs!!!
Just tell me how much money you want me to send to your PayPal. And as a Gift? That would be extremely kind of you !
You can contact me through eMail.
[Edited on 16/9/2010 by Nicodem]YT2095 - 31-3-2008 at 07:16
ok, done and sorted woelen - 31-3-2008 at 07:21
YT, very nice that you are willing to ship this mercury tube to Jor, but keep one thing in mind. Mercury is very dense, and it does not wet glass and
contracts into compact globules. Shaking of this thin tube in the post causes the contents to slosh from one side to another, and this may cause
breaking of the tube during transport. Mercury is remarkably dense and the risk of breakage during transport is quite large.
I myself have a mercury sample, and this is in a very thick walled glass ampoule:
This was sent to me by mail, and around this thing, three layers of bubble foam were added, and this in turn was tightly put in a plastic bottle with
screw cap, just in case, that if it breaks, then the droplets would be contained in the plastic bottle and not all over the parcel.
I once have seen a test tube being broken, simply by pouring in some mercury (this luckily was not at my home, it was long ago, at school, in the good
old days that mercury still was allowed at high school).
Well over a year ago, I had a similar experience with a vial, in which some nice samples of arsenic were put. When this arrived at my home, the vial
was broken, also due to shaking during transport. Fortunately, the vial was very well contained in multiple baggies, so no nasty things happened, but
this demonstrates that shipping things in thin glass containers is not very safe.
So, package the sample in such a way, that if it breaks, then no damage is done and the droplets of mercury are safely contained.
Edit(woelen): Made link work again.
[Edited on 30-7-16 by woelen]YT2095 - 31-3-2008 at 07:26
it`ll be wrapped in sulpher powder 1`st, not a problem MagicJigPipe - 31-3-2008 at 07:44
I have a few mercury switches that I have yet to break open and I shake those around (sometimes with great force) all the time and have had not one
breakage. I do feel how dense it is though. Hg is great.
My Mom told me that her and her brothers all used to play with the mercury from broken thermometers all the time as kids and they are some of the
healthiest people I know today. Just thought I would throw in that anecdote.
I also found out recently that most cars made before 2000 or so have mercury switches that control the trunk and hood lights (probably more, too).
Needless to say I thought about going to U-Pull-It and other junk yards to buy all of their trunk lights!Jor - 31-3-2008 at 07:46
Is the glass thick enough, such that I can show other people the mobility of the liquid, or does shaking break the glass? Can you please test that for
me YT?
Oh and now im talking anyways , who has some gallium for me to buy ?YT2095 - 31-3-2008 at 07:51
LOL, funny you should mention the switches and years ago.
my Friends dad (and electronics engineer) used to put one of these and a little peizo buzzer and 9v batts in all his sons x-mess presents, as he had
of shaking them to see what was in it!
the package is done now anyway, it`s the glass vial in a semi rigig heat seal plastic tube with Sulpher in there, all wrapped in tissue and put into a
screw top plastic test tube, then in a padded jiffy bag.
I think all will be safe
as for Arsenic, I need a small amount of that for my element collection, I have the pentoxide but it`s not the same thing, As and Tl would complete 2
groups for me, but I`v never Once come across a source for elemental Thallium or Arsenic microcosmicus - 31-3-2008 at 08:00
Also, old fluorescent lamp starters have mercury switches as well.
The lamps, of course, also have mercury, but in too small
quantities to be worth salvaging. When I was small, I used to
play with mercury from old quiet switches.
From what I understand, arsenic can be reduced using charcoal,
presumably like phosphorous, so maybe you could prepare yourself
a small quantity of elemental arsenic for your collection.
[Edited on 31-3-2008 by microcosmicus]Jor - 31-3-2008 at 08:14
My sources for arsenic , from Fisher company are:
-Arsenic, 1 ampoule: 18 EUR
-Arsenic 25Gr under Nitrogen, GR for analysis ACS, from Merck: Need to request price
If you want YT, I can get them for you, but you will have to pay me the money for the arsenic, as it's quite expensive. Also, I do not know how to
ship chemicals internationally, especially something toxic like arsenic. I will have to ask woelen. Woelen can order from the company as well, because
I order from Fisher through a local supllier in the Netherlands. Hes more experienced sending chemicals to you, so you might ask him...YT2095 - 31-3-2008 at 08:21
not a problem, honestly!
I have to wait until next Quarters Science Budget anyway, and I have things more pressing that need to be bought first (photography enlarger lens +
filters and some more sheets of film), then I need to get some Barium and Strontium metal to complete my Sucrate experiments.
so as you can see, there`s no Mega rush for these things and patience has its own rewards.
it`s nice to know that at least One of the 2 elements I`m after is available though, Cheers Nick F - 31-3-2008 at 08:45
Check out www.elementsales.com. They have nice ampoules of both Tl and As.YT2095 - 31-3-2008 at 09:10
Splendid, Thanks, I see they have a nicer Boron sample than mine too.MagicJigPipe - 31-3-2008 at 13:15
"Also, old fluorescent lamp starters have mercury switches as well."
As in the little semi-cylindrical sometimes silver things?Fleaker - 31-3-2008 at 13:56
Well YT, you know who to ask on the barium and strontium. :- )
Jor, I have a good source for gallium from 4N to 6N ranging from 880-1380/kg.
I believe they may be able to direct me to some cheap barium, strontium, and calcium as well.
As I said before, I'm more than willing to buy stuff in bulk for cheap, so long as I know that I won't be keeping 500g of Sr (50 would keep me more
than happy). I can also melt the stuff in vacuo too!The_Davster - 31-3-2008 at 16:23
Quote:
Originally posted by Nick F
Check out www.elementsales.com. They have nice ampoules of both Tl and As.
Wow, I have never seen such an unoxidized sample of shiny arsenic!
I have some dull arsenic, I had no idea it was so expensive! It is an awesome element to just have in a bottle, just for the stigma attached to it.theobromacacao - 1-4-2008 at 00:58
I purchased my As and Tl samples from elementsales and they are excellent! The Tl arrived this morning actually and is very nice. I try to use
various sources for my element collection, and have also just bought a mercury switch off ebay which also arrived this morning, just for my
collection. A nice vintage sample! However, after seeing this post now, I wish I'd asked on here like Jor! Apart from still needing quite a few
elements to complete my collection, there's just the question of how to display them (seeing as I'm no handyman or woodworking expert)!ScienceGeek - 1-4-2008 at 14:14
Well, you don't have to be an expert to build some racks, do you? I don't know, I'm no expert, but it doesn't seem like it takes a lot of effort.
PS: I mean no offense to anyone or any profession.Fleaker - 19-5-2008 at 22:08
Taken from some new laws on the books for high school chemistry (more on that later) classes:
"Comparison of quantities of mercury
Large Spill = 1 pound mercury
1 pound = 453.6 grams = 2 tablespoons mercury = 130 thermostats (NEMA estimates
about 3.5 grams per thermostat)
1 fluid oz. = 394.4 grams mercury
1 gram = a bead the size of a pencil eraser
1 gallon = 104 pounds mercury
1 thermometer = 0.5-3.0 grams of mercury
1 thermostat = 3-5 grams mercury
1 thermostat = 75-100 fluorescent lamps
1 sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff) = 70 - 90 grams mercury
Air concentrations: 1,000 ng/m3 = 1.0 ug/m3 = 0.001 mg/m3
Officially, one pound of spilled mercury is considered a large spill and must be reported.
Visually, that is about two tablespoons of mercury. However, even a small spill can raise
the air concentrations of mercury above ATSDR’s safe threshold level."MagicJigPipe - 19-5-2008 at 22:45
That's interesting. I called the poison control center not to long ago to see what they had to say about mercury and they basically told me that
unless the mercury is aerosolized it is nothing to worry about. They said that at room temperature it is almost impossible for liquid mercury to give
rise to immediately (or for a few minutes) harmful amounts of vapor (pressure).
Of course I'm sure constant exposure would be bad but I do believe them to a certain extent. Hg's vapor pressure is so low that, IMO, as long as the
mercury is cleaned up quick it poses little threat. This paragraph is my opinion only and based mostly on an experience in which I experienced no
noticable effects (and an obscure comparison to the vapor pressure versus immediately harmful amounts of mercury vapor).
Sorry if this doesn't make any sense but I just got back from a "show" and I have a headache and I'm tired and... I'll edit if it sounds stupid...
Good day! Night...IrC - 21-5-2008 at 15:00
They are of course wrong, Hg puts off more vapor than they are leading you to believe. Shine an ultraviolet light on a screen which glows under Uv,
with the Hg between. You will see the shadows flickering as Hg vapor blocks the Uv light source. This is the best demo I know of for one to get the
full insight as to how much vapor is really coming off at room temperature! I know, I cleaned 3 pounds of Hg squeezing it through chamois (probably
one of the simplest and best ways to clean the metal), and tried this test to see how much vapor I was bathing my lungs in. Did not hurt me at all.
What day is it? Why am I here? I forgot my name again!
Never mind.MagicJigPipe - 21-5-2008 at 21:52
One time I was working with quite a bit of mercury and I started having this "out of body" feeling. Also, I was slightly dizzy and couldn't think
straight (and I had weird thoughts).
Everyone said I was crazy and I even believe it was mostly psychosematic but... I could be wrong.
[Edited on 5-21-2008 by MagicJigPipe]indigofuzzy - 22-5-2008 at 21:54
According to wikipedia, mercury's vapor pressure @315K(42°C, 107°F) = 1Pa. So, wouldn't that mean mercury "wants" to concentrate to about 9 or 10ppm
in air?MagicJigPipe - 22-5-2008 at 22:31
See, that's what I thought. Wouldn't that be not even close to enough to cause immediate health effects?IrC - 24-5-2008 at 18:06
Maybe not within a short time span but I have seen both Xrays and sections of brains from dead mercury mine workers, and they all have holes in the
brain matter which looks like mad cow disease, swiss cheese, or whatever.
However I still play around with my Hg without much concern, since I limit the time I am exposed to the raw metal. Likely the most injury Hg has
caused me in total during my life was all during my formative youth when I carried it around and played with it in my hands for hours. Of course it
was not helpful that the year after I left my 6 year long term in grade school, they tore the building down as it was constructed with 100 percent
asbestos insulation.
What does not kill you makes you stronger? I am unsure of the reality of this statement.
Still here and still thinking however. This means a great deal I believe, as I know many normal unexposed people who are more ignorant than a mad cow.
Therefore my lifetime of exposure has not caused me that much harm hopefully.MagicJigPipe - 24-5-2008 at 18:29
My Mom used to tell me that she and her brothers (mostly her brothers) used to play with Hg all the time with their bare hands. They are all still
alive and very healthy.
Honestly, I think a lot of it has to do with genetics and (lack of) luck.12AX7 - 24-5-2008 at 20:35
Oh hey, this thread reminds me, I inherited a mercury tilt switch last month, so I am in fact the owner of a small droplet of elemental mercury,
safely sealed under glass. Sloshing even this small amount, it's clearly dense, but not nearly as impressive as a liter of the stuff would be.
TimMagicJigPipe - 25-5-2008 at 00:13
I always thought those were fairly common. I have several of them. I took the mercury out of 3 of them. I might save one but I really don't have a
desire to keep the Hg in the glass ampuole.Chrisn - 25-5-2008 at 13:06
my high school chemistry teacher has played with a bucket full of mercury grndpndr - 26-5-2008 at 00:05
I live in old gold mning country when panning/sluicing was common 100+ years ago.Anyhoo as you know mecury is used in he recovery process of gold dust
I believe .nyway these young kids whom I knew apparently found several LBS in some type of container in an old shed near a stream (custer SD old gold
minng town) few miles out of town.As kids are want to do they were fascinated by the stuffs propertys being all of 6-11 and never clever boys to begin
with.Anyway they proceeded to put it in thier mouths let it run out thier noses from thier mouths as kids do in grade school w/mik etc.Thankfully none
died or are quite drooling idiots but very close.Both are in the penitentiary and have been regularly in trouble though as I said they never were
brain trusts.The mother s worse and whether she ever realized how dangerous this was I doubt but I do know treament for heavy metals was never given.
Both are relatively healthy but one did have a very serious immune disorder growing up shortly afer the incident and I dont think the incident was
mentioned.Recall the moms IQ,
similar to a mild days temp.Anyway this story belongs on TV as some kind of testament to stupidity etc but it is factual for any doubters.I attempted
to get my hands on the stuff when i had heard of the facts but was to late it had been diposed off.Dont doubt my veracity a good many of the Black
hills streams and lakes are polluted with mercury from the gold rush days.
