How is mercury produced in industry? [closed]








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Mercury is the only metal that exists in a liquid state at room temperature.


* In which form is mercury extracted from its ore?
* If it produced as a solid, how and when is it turned into a liquid?




Most commonly, mercury $\ce{Hg}$ is separated from its ore $\ce{HgS}$, known as cinnabar. The process used is roasting; this entails heating the raw material in oxygen.


$$\ce{HgS(l) + O2(g) ->[700-800\ ^\circ \mathrm{C}] Hg(g) + SO2(g)}$$


Mercury is extracted here in the *gaseous* state. Note that the product is elemental mercury, not an oxide. This is because the oxides decompose at or below $500\ ^\circ \mathrm{C}$: $$\ce{Hg2O -> HgO + Hg,\\ HgO -> Hg + O2}.$$


The mercury vapor is then purified in multiple steps which depend on the required degree of purity. Usually the gaseous mercury is first cleansed from dust, then condensed (bp $356.6\ ^\circ \mathrm{C}$). At this stage, an $80\%$ yield is observed.


The condensed mass is filtered further, washed with bases and acids, and destilled. For ultrapure mercury (less than $10^{-6}\%$ of impurities), electrochemical refinement using mercury electrodes follows.




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Hergi Karik, Kalle Truus. ($2003$). *Elementide keemia*. (pp 331$-$332, 334)


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Mercury is extracted from its ore, cinnabar($\ce{HgS}$). According to [wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(element)):



> 
> Mercury is extracted by **heating cinnabar in a current of air and
>  condensing the vapor**. The equation for this extraction is
> 
> 
> $$\ce{HgS + O2 → Hg + SO2}$$
> 
> 
> In 2005, China was the top producer of mercury with almost two-thirds
>  global share followed by Kyrgyzstan. Several other countries are
>  believed to have unrecorded production of mercury **from
>  copper electrowinning processes and by recovery from effluents.**
> 
> 
> 


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