Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Trying to find a home for a glass jar of ~13 kg of mercury

rcr2f - 12-4-2013 at 14:03

I am located in the St. Louis area. The mercury was found in my grandpa's garage after he passed. I'm not certain how he obtained it, but it hasn't been opened in probably 20 years.

As a last resort, I will call a hazardous waste removal agency to come take it away. I would prefer to see it go to a university or somewhere else.

I am new to this site, so I hope my post is ok!

plante1999 - 12-4-2013 at 14:18

I would like it, but I'm in Canada. Hopefully someone will get it and care for it!

13Kg of Hg is not nothing!

sbbspartan - 12-4-2013 at 15:11

Would this be pick up only???

rcr2f - 12-4-2013 at 15:20

I think it is illegal to ship, so yes. From my understanding, we could get heavily fined and even arrested for shipping this much of a toxic substance.

sbbspartan - 12-4-2013 at 15:28

That's too bad. 13 kg of mercury would be fun...

Pyro - 12-4-2013 at 15:51

You could put small amounts (20g, 1oz,...) into vials and sell them as samples on ebay.
don't give it to waste companies! they will charge you for it, while you have over 600$ worth of Hg there!

Endimion17 - 12-4-2013 at 16:28

Glass jar with 13 kilos? That's almost 1 litre.
What does this jar look like? I'd be quite afraid to pick it up, constantly thinking about its bottom falling off, creating a huge splash across the room.

rcr2f - 12-4-2013 at 16:41

It's just an old glass jar. I doubt it would break at the bottom, however I do not recommend picking it up by the lid. That would most likely fail. Also I'm not sure for sure of the exact weight, 30 lbs was a guess. If anyone needs, we could weigh it to find out for sure.

http://i.imgur.com/hAOtbYX.jpg

close up:

http://i.imgur.com/P1uU7zc.jpg

IrC - 12-4-2013 at 16:52

I looked up PUB52 and USPS prohibits mailing it even ORM-D. That Hg looks very dirty, the lid has not been sealing well for a long time and Oxygen has been getting in while beads of Mercury have been coming out. Also evident from the visible beads of Mercury in the image. You might consider packing some Sulfur dust around it since it is very obviously giving off vapors. I would put it inside a bag with Sulfur powder and seal it while you consider what to do with it. The Sulfur will convert the leaked metal into a much safer Sulfide. Wherever in the garage it was stored you might consider a liberal dusting of Sulfur powder as well. If they still carry it many drug stores had it labeled as Flowers of Sulfur so you may be able to get it without ordering and waiting for it. The lid on that jar is absolutely not designed for safe storage of Hg.

Endimion17 - 12-4-2013 at 17:30

I thought it'll be a thickwalled special jar, but it's a coffee jar.
The bottom is on a verge of dislodging, trust me.
Seriously, do not lift that thing from its bucket.
I also see some beads around. Keep that thing in a ventilated area. That rag is probably sprinkled with it.

My honest recommendation is to buy ten 100ml sturdy plastic containers and to start transferring the metal. Put on latex gloves, remove the crud on the top and, using a tiny glass beaker or comething convenient nonmetallic, start picking up the metal like you pick water from a well, and start filling the containers. Sell it.
Do it outside and don't be afraid, you won't get sick from it.
Put the rag into the empty jar, add few handfuls of sulphur, shake it up, wrap it in lots of plastic bags and throw it away, unless you want to give the rag and the jar to a waste disposal company.

But seriously, that bottom is just waiting to break off. What a sight would that be, lol.

chemcam - 12-4-2013 at 19:23

If you decide to sell it you should at least filter it, that can be done by using a very large syringe with a cotton ball inside I could filter about a pound before having to get new cotton ball. I used to sell mercury on eBay a few years ago and actually made very very good money so i suggest you do that. I salvaged it from medical equipment and other industrial/weather equipment. At one time I had just about 200lbs, little under 2 gallons. You can go to junk yards and garbage dumps and ask around also, somebody collects mercury guaranteed.

My goal was to build a mercury fountain like the one in Spain but it was going to cost a lot more than I could afford at the time for a custom glass enclosure.

[Edited on 4-13-2013 by chemcam]

rcr2f - 12-4-2013 at 19:32

Thank you for the warning, Endimion17! It is a really old jar too. If I can break it apart and sell it for money, I will try that route.

Chemcam, when you would sell it on ebay, did you ship through usps? I always thought any amount of mercury was illegal to ship.

chemcam - 12-4-2013 at 19:41

Given it was four years ago the last time I shipped any when I had checked I think it just said it needs to be packaged extremely well. People ship mercury thermometers and gauges all the time legally. What I did was enclose the mercury in a plastic cylinder, hot glue the lid and slide it into a glass vial then into double ziplocks. I never shipped more than 6oz at one time. But generally sold by the oz. Never had a problem.

IrC - 12-4-2013 at 20:10

Quote: Originally posted by chemcam  
Given it was four years ago the last time I shipped any when I had checked I think it just said it needs to be packaged extremely well. People ship mercury thermometers and gauges all the time legally. What I did was enclose the mercury in a plastic cylinder, hot glue the lid and slide it into a glass vial then into double ziplocks. I never shipped more than 6oz at one time. But generally sold by the oz. Never had a problem.


I used to get it in the mail years ago no problem. But I just looked at PUB52 to find:

Hazardous Material Mercury

Hazard Class 8

ID Number UN2809

DOT PG III

USPS Mailability Prohibited

http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52apxa.htm


chemcam - 12-4-2013 at 21:13

Wow things have really changed over the years.

www.ups.com/media/en/49CFR_chemical_table_04012013v4.pdf

That link is for UPS it has conflicting data on mercury shipments. See what you think. Says its not regulated by ground and gives weight limit but next to that says not accepted. It may be saying no for air transport. I'm on my phone so I can't view PDF files very well.

rcr2f - 12-4-2013 at 21:23

Quote: Originally posted by chemcam  
Wow things have really changed over the years.

www.ups.com/media/en/49CFR_chemical_table_04012013v4.pdf

That link is for UPS it has conflicting data on mercury shipments. See what you think. Says its not regulated by ground and gives weight limit but next to that says not accepted. It may be saying no for air transport. I'm on my phone so I can't view PDF files very well.


If I'm reading it correctly, there's a max limit of 25 kg, but it is allowed for UPS. That's good to know! thanks.

Fantasma4500 - 13-4-2013 at 05:32

more than 600$? back in time my chemistry teacher showed our class he had something he wasnt allowed to have: 2kg mercury..
fun stuff to play around with.. so heavy liquid..
we did some calculations on it and found it to be.. not very sure, but just the 2kg's he had was +600$ worth so i doubt 13kg mercury would be just 600$ worth..

http://www.mcssl.com/store/gallium-source/025---mercury-meta...

this site sells many metals, and when i calculated it abit (13000 / 454 = 28.9 28.9 x 189 = 5411) i found it that you have ... abit more than 600$ mercury..
you could probably contact the owner of the site, im pretty sure he would be in for trading some mercury.. putting this into smaller vials would mean you would have the container open, meaning some mercury would evaporate which isnt really healthy, perhaps divide it 13 times, so you dont handle it too much without lid on

watson.fawkes - 13-4-2013 at 06:27

From FedEx Ground Hazardous Materials Shipping Guide
Quote:
Mercury (Class -8- Corrosive) may not be regulated as a hazardous material if packaged and prepared under certain conditions. 49 CFR allows an exception to the hazardous material regulations. Mercury, when packaged and prepared under 49 CFR 173.164, do not require hazardous material shipping papers, certification forms, marking or labeling of the package when:
•The mercury is contained in instruments or articles (i.e. thermometers, barometers or fluorescent lights
or
•The package does not contain more than 1lb. (.45kg) net quantity of mercury per package
So go look up 49 CFR 173.164 and ship by Fedex Ground. USPS and UPS don't want to deal with it, apparently.

Pok - 13-4-2013 at 08:15

Quote: Originally posted by Antiswat  
more than 600$?...
http://www.mcssl.com/store/gallium-source/025---mercury-meta...
...
this site sells many metals, and when i calculated it abit (13000 / 454 = 28.9 28.9 x 189 = 5411) i found it that you have ... abit more than 600$ mercury..
you could probably contact the owner of the site, im pretty sure he would be in for trading some mercury.. putting this into smaller vials would mean you would have the container open, meaning some mercury would evaporate which isnt really healthy, perhaps divide it 13 times, so you dont handle it too much without lid on


This site isn't really a good standard to have an idea of the price of mercury. They buy their stuff for 10 to 90 % cheaper than they offer it. Taxes and hazmat shipping is included in this price. This site is better: http://www.metal-pages.com/metals/mercury/metal-prices-news-...

1 "flask" of mercury is 34.473 kg. So 1kg of 99.99% pure Hg costs about 100$.

These 13 kg mercury also have an unknown purity (surely < 99.99% pure), so it will cost much less than 1300 $. Only 3 years ago this amount would have costed just ca. 270 $ (the price has risen fivefold since then!).

[Edited on 13-4-2013 by Pok]

Pyro - 13-4-2013 at 09:14

I got an offer from a chinese seller for 70USD/kg. so it depends where you buy it

ElizabethGreene - 3-6-2013 at 13:12

Hello.

Are you still looking to get rid of this? I'm not that far away and can drive up to get it.

Answering the unasked question, No, I don't have an immediate use for it. Plan A is to get it out of that glass jar and into some sealed ampoules. Then I'll get that jar, blanket, and bucket off to proper disposal. From there one small amp will will go into my element collection, the rest will go in a well padded box on a shelf. If other SciMadders want some I can look into what the shipping costs would be.

Thanks!
Elizabeth

hyfalcon - 3-6-2013 at 14:01

I live about 3 hrs. from you and would be willing also.

Variscite - 3-6-2013 at 21:52

I love mercury, such a beautiful element. Scares the crap out of me though for some reason :P.
Must be some underlying fear of it poisoning me, no matter how much.

hyfalcon - 4-6-2013 at 01:36

As long as it's properly contained, I would rather work with mercury than something like K2CrO7 or even elemental P.

annaandherdad - 4-6-2013 at 08:56

My biggest fear of mercury is that it will spill, splattering a million tiny balls all over my garage and then at some time in the future I won't be able to sell the house without some $100,000 hazmat cleanup job.

blogfast25 - 4-6-2013 at 12:21

Quote: Originally posted by annaandherdad  
My biggest fear of mercury is that it will spill, splattering a million tiny balls all over my garage and then at some time in the future I won't be able to sell the house without some $100,000 hazmat cleanup job.


That's why it's far more dangerous than K2Cr2O7, despite hyfalcon's concerns over dichromates.

acetone - 5-6-2013 at 06:43

I would love to possess this chemical

DubaiAmateurRocketry - 5-6-2013 at 07:06

Quote: Originally posted by acetone  
I would love to possess this chemical


LMAO your user name is acetone XD

Variscite - 5-6-2013 at 22:11

Quote: Originally posted by DubaiAmateurRocketry  
Quote: Originally posted by acetone  
I would love to possess this chemical


LMAO your user name is acetone XD

What do you find funny about that?

I Like Dots - 7-6-2013 at 09:47

acetone
>ace-tone
>ass-tone
>tone-ass

testimento - 11-7-2013 at 22:43

Omfg I'd pay gold for that mercury. For chlor-alkali cell it'd be just what I've been looking for.

Gooferking Science - 17-7-2013 at 17:47

I would really love to a bit of that mercury! Is it still on the market?