Mercury vapor

As a follow-up to Problem 2, the observed nucleation rate for mercury vapor at 400 K is 1000-fold less than predicted by Eq. IX-9. The effect may be attributed to a lowered surface tension of the critical nuclei involved. Calculate this surface tension. 

Scandium iodide added to mercury vapor lamps produces a highly efficient light source resembling sunlight, which is important for indoor or night-time color TV. 

The metal is widely used in laboratory work for making thermometers, barometers, diffusion pumps, and many other instruments. It is used in making mercury-vapor lamps and advertising... 

In contrast to spectrophotometry, hght-scattering experiments are generally conducted at constant wavelength. Mercury vapor lamps are the most widely used light sources, since the strong lines at 436 and 546 nm are readily isolated by filters to allow monochromatic illumination. Polarizing filters are also included for both the incident and scattered beams so that depolarization can... 

Loaded Adsorbents. Where highly efficient removal of a trace impurity is required it is sometimes effective to use an adsorbent preloaded with a reactant rather than rely on the forces of adsorption. Examples include the use of 2eohtes preloaded with bromine to trap traces of olefins as their more easily condensible bromides 2eohtes preloaded with iodine to trap mercury vapor, and activated carbon loaded with cupric chloride for removal of mercaptans. 

Concurrent with requirements for low levels of mercurials in discharge water is the problem of their deterrnination. The older methods of wet chemistry are inadequate, and total rehance is placed on instmmental methods. The most popular is atomic absorption spectrophotometry, which rehes on the absorption of light by mercury vapor (4). Solutions of mercury compounds not stabilized with an excess of acid tend to hydrolyze to form yeUow-to-orange basic hydrates. These frequendy absorb onto the walls of containers and may interfere with analytical results when low levels (ppm) of mercury are determined. 

Suitable ventilating equipment, consisting mainly of carbon absorbers which effectively absorb mercury vapor from recirculated air, must be employed to maintain standards below the value permitted in the occupational environment. When the possibiUty of higher exposures exists, small disposable masks utilizing a mercury vapor absorbent may be employed. 

Most inorganic mercury compounds have very low vapor pressures, and generally do not contribute to high mercury vapor readings. MetaUic mercury is the most potent and troublesome in this respect. Organic mercurials also contribute to mercury vapor readings, possibly by virtue of the presence of extremely small amounts of metallic mercury present as an impurity. 

Mercury vapor discharge from vents of reactors or storage tanks at normal atmospheric pressure is controlled readily by means of activated carbon. Standard units (208-L (55-gal) dmms) of activated carbon equipped with proper inlet and outlet nozzles can be attached to each vent. To minimize the load on the carbon-absorbing device, a small water-cooled condenser is placed between the vent and the absorber. 

Mercury amalgamates readily with gold and silver, and systems have been developed using these metals distributed on various carriers to remove mercury vapor from an akstream. When the system is saturated, the mercury can be removed easily and recovered by heating the unit and condensing the mercury. Other metals, such as copper and 2inc, can also be used. 

Ultraviolet light sources are based on the mercury vapor arc. The mercury is enclosed ia a quart2 tube and a potential is appHed to electrodes at either end of the tube. The electrodes can be of iron, tungsten, or other metals and the pressure ia a mercury vapor lamp may range from less than 0.1 to >1 MPa (<1 to >10 atm). As the mercury pressure and lamp operating temperatures are iacreased, the radiation becomes more iatense and the width of the emission lines iacreases (17). 

Lighting. An important appHcation of clear fused quartz is as envelop material for mercury vapor lamps (228). In addition to resistance to deformation at operating temperatures and pressures, fused quartz offers ultraviolet transmission to permit color correction. Color is corrected by coating the iaside of the outer envelope of the mercury vapor lamp with phosphor (see Luminescent materials). Ultraviolet light from the arc passes through the fused quartz envelope and excites the phosphor, produciag a color nearer the red end of the spectmm (229). A more recent improvement is the iacorporation of metal haHdes ia the lamp (230,231). 

Minor uses of vanadium chemicals are preparation of vanadium metal from refined pentoxide or vanadium tetrachloride Hquid-phase organic oxidation reactions, eg, production of aniline black dyes for textile use and printing inks color modifiers in mercury-vapor lamps vanadyl fatty acids as driers in paints and varnish and ammonium or sodium vanadates as corrosion inhibitors in flue-gas scmbbers. 

Direct reading samplers include simple devices such as colorimetric indicating tubes in which a color change indicates the presence of the contaminant in air passed through the tube, or instruments which are more or less specific for a particular substance. In the latter category are carbon monoxide indicators, combustible gas indicators (explosimeters) and mercury vapor meters, as well as a number of other instruments. 

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