Vlad - 27-2-2007 at 06:08
I know there exist lab table top format machines for this purpose and iirc I have seen these for sale somewhere.
Where?
I am looking for such a machine, a small unit devised to distill mercury amalgams.
I don't want to spend several thousands of dollars/euros for this purpose. A self made pure iron tubes setup and retort with the tubes ending under
water will work as well but I want the easier and cleaner way of using a modern machine.
[Edited on 27-2-2007 by Vlad]
[Edited on 27-2-2007 by Vlad]
scientistfromdarkness - 27-7-2007 at 00:18
Try to contact some glassblower. He can make one for you. You have pictures of mercury distillation machines in Brauer, page 28.
not_important - 27-7-2007 at 00:59
When distilling mercury from amalgams, a higher temperature is used than for simple purification distillation. Temperatures used run from 500 to 700
C, a little too hot for typical lab borosilicate glass.
Most small scale amalgams stills are made from iron or steel. The end pieces typically threaded on the outside to fit on inside threading of the
still body, but aren't rhat far removed from ordinary pipe.
I'd say go with the DIY pipe route, or have someone machine the end pieces and tap them and the retort body. Even the furnace, be it gas or electric,
isn't that hard to make.
The attached PDF is a short write-up on a still a few years ago for amalgam distilling.
Attachment: A new still for small-scale gold mining.pdf (717kB)
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