Gold with Mercury?

[KevinInColorado]

But learn before you do. Don't be an idiot and make yourself sick or contaminate stuff.

 

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[N-Lionberger]

Wouldn't copper be a poor material for a condensing arm as mercury likes to stick to it?

 

[KevinInColorado]

Wouldn't copper be a poor material for a condensing arm as mercury likes to stick to it?

Yes. True but it's cheap and available. So you have to get it to oxidize before you use it. Just get it wet inside and heat it up with a torch a couple times. The oxidized copper doesn't attract mercury, only clean copper does.

There's more to using it than that however. Lots of safety concerns. Spend time reading about mercury retorts online before you try this in your backyard.

 

[johngfoster]

If one were careful, could one use a glass Liebig condenser to distill the mercury off? Is the only concern with a glass setup the risk of it breaking?

 

[KevinInColorado]

If one were careful, could one use a glass Liebig condenser to distill the mercury off? Is the only concern with a glass setup the risk of it breaking?

In theory yes BUT if it breaks ( fairly likely from what I've read), the fumes are deadly so...

 

[winners58]

what to do with the mercury you've washed with Nitric

Don't try this at home unless you are out of bullets.
.