Mercury transport properties

A complete treatment must also include formation of neutral atomic clusters A and negative ion clusters A. These species are stabilized by the presence of an ionized electron. They are the fluid state analogues of the polarons in solids described in Sec. 2.3.3(c). The idea that negative clusters affect the optical, dielectric, and thermoelectric properties of dense metal vapors close to the critical point has been put forward by a number of authors (Khrapak and lakubov, 1970 Hefner and Hensel, 1982 Hernandez, 1982 Hefner et al., 1982). We discuss this in relation to the transport properties of mercury in chapter 4. 

The electrical transport properties of mercury have been measured in a number of laboratories (Hensel and Franck, 1966 Kikoin and Sechenkov, 1967 Postill et al., 1968 Neale and Cusack, 1977 Schonherr et al., 1979 Yao and Endo, 1982). The data include results obtained quite close to the critical point, in the range where jT — 10" ... 

Pore sixe distribution data obtained from gas desorption (Barret et al. 1951) and mercury porisimetry experiments together with a knowledge of adsorbate molecular size thus enables the mode of diffusive transport to be ascertained. It should be noted that both molecular and Knudsen diffusion may occur in the same porous medium when the porous medium contains both macropores and micropores (revealed from an analysis of a bimodal pore size distribution curve). Unconstrained molecular diffusion. Dm, and Knudsen diffusion, Dk, coefficients are subsequently calculated from formulae derived from transport properties of fluids (gaseous and liquid) and the kinetic theory of gases. The molecular diffusivity for a binary gas mixture of A and B is evaluated from the Chapman-Enskog theory (Chapman and Cowling 1951) equation... 

As a rule, simulations consider emissions of heavy metals from anthropogenic and natural sources, transport in the atmosphere and deposition to the underlying surface (Figure 6). It is assumed that lead and cadmium are transported in the atmosphere only as a part of aerosol particles. Besides, chemical transformations of these metals do not change removal properties of their particles-carriers. On the contrary, mercury enters the atmosphere in different physical and chemical forms and undergoes numerous transformations during its pathway in the atmosphere (Ilyn et al., 2002 2004 Ilyin and Travnikov, 2003). 

There is further analogy with yet "extra concern for toxic chemicals that may also persist in the environment and be transported great distances from their point of entry into the environment. Here the unifying general notion is that unsuspecting individuals are placed at risk, and are thus less able to defend than are the perpetrators. Mercury is a classic example of such a chemical. Mercury is extremely toxic to the CN S. Fetuses, infants, and toddlers are especially sensitive and susceptible to the neurotoxic properties of mercury. Mercury also persists in the environment, and is known to bioaccumulate in the food web and biomagnify up the food chain. 

Cadmium shares chemical properties with zinc and mercury, but in contrast to mercury, it is incapable of environmental methylation, due to the instability of the monoalkyl derivate. Similarities and differences also exist in the metabolism of Zn, Cd, and Hg. Metallothioneins and other Cd-binding proteins hold or transport Cd, Zn, and Hg within the body. Metallothioneins are metal-binding proteins of relatively low molecular mass with a high content of cysteine residues that have a particular affinity for cadmium, as well as for zinc and copper, and can affect its toxicity. 

Nitro Compounds as Explosives.—Nitro compounds prepared from aromatic hydrocarbons and certain of their derivatives were very important explosives used in the recent war. The compounds differ markedly in the properties which are characteristic of explosives namely, (1) sensitiveness to shock, (2) explosive force, and (3) the velocity of the explosion through the substance. If (1) is very high the explosive can not be transported very safely (2) determines the amount of the explosive to be used if (3) is very high the pressure is developed to its maximum so suddenly that rupture of the gun in which it is used may take place. Substances which are very sensitive to shock are used as detonators or boosters a small amount of the material is exploded by the trigger and the explosive wave set up causes the explosion of the less sensitive material. Mercury fulminate, lead azide, Pb(Ns)2, and several nitro derivatives of aniline (see below) are used for this purpose. 

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