Need to clean some mercury

Capt Nemo · Jan 10, 2016

I just pulled out my old test tube of mercury pulled from a bunch of old switches. I'm going to seal it off in glass ampoules, but would like to clean the black residues off of it before the filling process. I caught a video on cleaning it here a while back but can't find it now. I remember something about salt water and electricity but that's all.

Bonaro · Jan 10, 2016

Capt Nemo said:
I just pulled out my old test tube of mercury pulled from a bunch of old switches. I'm going to seal it off in glass ampoules, but would like to clean the black residues off of it before the filling process. I caught a video on cleaning it here a while back but can't find it now. I remember something about salt water and electricity but that's all.

Hmmm....gonna have to make some guesses here. Sounds like you intend to make sodium amalgam. However, you don't use saltwater, you use lye. I'm not really clear why you would want to do this if you are going to seal it in glass ampules. I think what you probably need to do is run the HG through a retort.

winners58 · Jan 10, 2016

get a syringe from a pet store put in a cotton ball tightly then squeeze the mercury through.

KevinInColorado · Jan 10, 2016

winners58 said:
get a syringe from a pet store put in a cotton ball tightly then squeeze the mercury through.

...which will mostly work but still result in a contaminated cotton ball that then needs to be put in a retort. Just start with the retort instead.

goldenIrishman · Jan 10, 2016

Yup.... Retort, set up outside with plenty of air circulation. Please, please PLEASE be sure to use a proper one and not some basement bomber design off the web!!! While they will work the safety factor just isn't there! Most of the on-line designs can suck water in and if they do then you've got major problems on your hands.