HG Extraction 2
HG Extraction 2
HG Extraction 2
of Mercury
Prof. Dr. Eng.
Mohamed Sayed Ahmed
Physical properties of Mercury:
Name: mercury
Group of mercury in periodic table: metal
Symbol of mercury: Hg
Atomic number of mercury: 80
Atomic weight of mercury: 200.59
Appearance of mercury: silver-white liquid at room temperature
Melting point of mercury: −38.89◦C under atmospheric pressure
Boiling point of mercury: 357.25◦C under atmospheric pressure
As compared to other metals, mercury is a poor conductor of heat, but a
fair conductor of electricity
Mercury and its compounds are very toxic
T > 450 oC
2 HgO(s) 2 Hg(g) + O2 (1)
Since the most common ore of Hg is cinnabar (HgS),
Thus, HgS (cinnabar) is decomposed by oxidizing roasting:
T > 450 oC
HgS(s) + O2 oC)
Hg(g) + SO2 (2)
(500 - 600
Reactions (1) and (2) shift to the left on cooling, thus the reactions would
reverse completely during condensation of the product. Fortunately, the
back-reaction is very slow at cooling temperature. This makes the
extracting of Hg is very simple process, which is one operation produces
the metal and separates it from the gangue and from other non-volatile
metal.
The decomposition of HgS may be also carried out by
means of other reactants, such as:
T > 450 oC
HgS(s) + Fe Hg(g) + FeS (3)
(500-600 oC)
T > 450 oC
4 HgS(s) + 4 CaO oC)
4 Hg(g) + 3 CaS + CaSO4 (4)
(500-600
2) The ore is first crushed in one or more cone crushers. A cone crusher
consists of an interior grinding cone that rotates on an eccentric vertical
axis inside a fixed outer cone. As the ore is fed into the top of the crusher,
it is squeezed between the two cones and broken into smaller pieces.
3) The crushed ore is then ground even smaller by a series of mills. Each
mill consists of a large cylindrical container laying on its side and rotating
on its horizontal axis. The mill may be filled with short lengths of steel rods
or with steel balls to provide the grinding action.
4) The finely powdered ore is fed into a furnace or kiln to be heated. Some
operations use a multiple-hearth furnace, in which the ore is mechanically
moved down a vertical shaft from one ledge, or hearth, to the next by
slowly rotating rakes. Other operations use a rotary kiln, in which the ore is
tumbled down the length of a long, rotating cylinder that is inclined a few
degrees off horizontal. In either case, heat is provided by combusting
natural gas or some other fuel in the lower portion of the furnace or kiln.
The heated cinnabar (HgS) reacts with the oxygen (O2) in the air to produce
sulfur dioxide (SO2 ), allowing the mercury to rise as a vapor. This process
is called roasting.
Condensing :
5) The mercury vapor rises up and out of the furnace or kiln along
with the sulfur dioxide, water vapor, and other products of
combustion. A considerable amount of fine dust from the powdered
ore is also carried along and must be separated and captured.
6) The hot furnace exhaust passes through a water-cooled
condenser. As the exhaust cools, the mercury, which has a boiling
point of 675° F (357° C), is the first to condense into a liquid, leaving
the other gases and vapors to be vented or to be processed further to
reduce air pollution.
7) The liquid mercury is collected. Because mercury has a very high
specific gravity, any impurities tend to rise to the surface and form a
dark film or scum. These impurities are removed by filtration, leaving
a liquid mercury that is about 99.9% pure. The impurities are treated
with lime to In order to extract mercury from its ores, cinnabar ore is
crushed and heated to release the mercury as a vapor. The mercury
vapor is then cooled, condensed, and collected.
Refining :
Most commercial-grade mercury is 99.9% pure and can be used
directly from the roasting and condensing process. Higher purity
mercury is needed for some limited applications and must be
refined further. This ultrapure mercury commands a premium
price.
8) Higher purity can be obtained through several refining
methods. The mercury may be mechanically filtered again, and
certain impurities may be removed through oxidation with
chemicals or air. In some cases the mercury is refined through an
electrolytic process, in which an electric current is passed through
a tank of liquid mercury to remove the impurities. The most
common refining method is triple distillation, in which the
temperature of the liquid mercury is carefully raised until the
impurities either evaporate or the mercury itself evaporates,
leaving the impurities behind. This distillation process is
performed three times, with the purity increasing each time.
Shipping :
9) Commercial-grade mercury is poured into
wrought-iron or steel flasks and sealed.
Each flask contains 76 lb (34.5 kg) of
mercury. Higher purity mercury is usually
sealed in smaller glass or plastic containers
for shipment.
Quality Control
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.
Because mercury poses a serious health hazard, its use and release to
the environment has come under increasingly tight restrictions. In 1988,
it was estimated that 24 million lb/yr (11 million kglyr) of mercury were
released into the air, land, and water worldwide as the result of human
activities. This included mercury released by mercury mining and
refining, various manufacturing operations, the combustion of coal, the
discarding of municipal refuse and sewage sludge, and other sources.