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Mercury is a natural element found in the earth's crust. Historians as far back as Pliny the Elder have noted its existence. It is introduced into the environment naturally through geological occurrences such as volcanic activity or erosion. It can also be mined from cinnabar, after which it may be combined to form compounds with widely varying characteristics.
"Free-flowing" or metallic mercury is known as elemental mercury. It is an element not a compound. Triple-distilled, American Dental Association Grade, elemental mercury is the type used in W. A. Baum blood pressure instruments. Some of its unusual characteristics are:
· It is a non-wetting liquid.
· It has tremendous surface tension, which allows a drop or bead to remain almost round, like a ball bearing.
· It is thirteen times heavier than water.
· Triple-distilled mercury is 99.999 % pure and can easily be cleaned, redistilled and recycled.
· It has a very low vapor pressure - it does not vaporize rapidly or readily at room temperature.
· It is listed as a corrosive, yet it is unlike other corrosives. Its corrosiveness is limited to other soft metals such as copper, tin, silver, gold and aluminum. It does not eat its way through hard metals, linoleum, wood, fabric, ceramic tile, etc.
· It has a rather low freezing point (-38.0¼ F) and a rather high boiling point (674¼ F).
Effective substitutes for this unique element are currently unavailable.
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