Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Is it possible to make mercury(I) fulminate the same wasy as mercury(II) fulminate?

nagyepf - 14-10-2018 at 00:22

We know that mercury(II) fulminate is made by reacting mercury with concentrated nitric acid then adding ethanol to it.
Reaction of mercury with cc.HNO3 makes mercury(II) nitrate Hg(NO3)2.
Dilute nitric acid produces mercuty(I) nitrate Hg2(NO3)2.
My question is what would heppen if we added this to ethanol?Would it procude mercury(I) fulminate?
Unfortunantely I dont have mercury and nitric acid to try it.



[Edited on 02-09-2017 by nagyepf]

hissingnoise - 14-10-2018 at 03:19

I think the fact that there is but one MF mentioned in the lit. would tell you something ─ the lower nitrate, in any case, hydrolyses easily to split off HNO3.


nagyepf - 14-10-2018 at 03:39

Quote: Originally posted by hissingnoise  
I think the fact that there is but one MF mentioned in the lit. would tell you something ─ the lower nitrate, in any case, hydrolyses easily to split off HNO3.



But doesnt hydrolyse irreversibly.NileRed showed that mercuty(I) nitrate solution can be boiled to make mercury(II) nitrate.

hissingnoise - 14-10-2018 at 04:52

It is irreversible since the starting material is lost ─ and boiling will also precipitate Hg metal.

MF is altogether a 'dirty' primary and its deflagration produces a surprising amount of toxic residue ─ I still have some but it's just too polluting from my POV.

I much prefer silver azide as it's a much 'greener' primary but sodium azide is harder to get these days...

nagyepf - 15-10-2018 at 09:38

Quote: Originally posted by hissingnoise  
It is irreversible since the starting material is lost ─ and boiling will also precipitate Hg metal.

MF is altogether a 'dirty' primary and its deflagration produces a surprising amount of toxic residue ─ I still have some but it's just too polluting from my POV.

I much prefer silver azide as it's a much 'greener' primary but sodium azide is harder to get these days...


Read this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury(I)_nitrate
Especially this
Solutions of mercury(I) nitrate are acidic due to slow reaction with water:

Hg2(NO3)2 + H2O ⇌ Hg2(NO3)(OH) + HNO3
Wikipedia says the reaction is reversible.

hissingnoise - 16-10-2018 at 04:29

Quote:

Hg2(NO3)2 + H2O ⇌ Hg2(NO3)(OH) + HNO3
Wikipedia says the reaction is reversible.

Indeed it does ─ I stand corrected!

Though how you'd shift equilibrium fully to the left to recover Hg2(NO3)2 isn't specified?

nagyepf - 16-10-2018 at 06:38

Quote: Originally posted by hissingnoise  
Quote:

Hg2(NO3)2 + H2O ⇌ Hg2(NO3)(OH) + HNO3
Wikipedia says the reaction is reversible.

Indeed it does ─ I stand corrected!

Though how you'd shift equilibrium fully to the left to recover Hg2(NO3)2 isn't specified?



Probably it would not hydrolyze in ethanol.But until I can try it my opinion is that mercury(I) nitrate and ethanol might yield mefcury(I) fulminate which deomposes to mercury(II) fulminate and metallic mercury.
I could make nitric acid with high voltage arcs but where do i get mercury is still a mystery.I cant find any Hg thermometers,even in antique stores.
And buying 200 pieces of mercury switches could be suspicious for the authorities.

AJKOER - 16-10-2018 at 16:16

Is it possible to make mercury(I) fulminate the same way as mercury(II) fulminate?

Not sure, but from what I have learned of Hg(ll) is that with Hg, one gets Hg(l). To quote a source (http://mercury.atomistry.com/chemical_properties.html ):

"whilst mercuric salts, with excess of mercury, form mercurous salts."

which is a property demonstrated by copper salts also.

AJKOER - 16-10-2018 at 16:16

Is it possible to make mercury(I) fulminate the same way as mercury(II) fulminate?

Not sure, but from what I have learned of Hg(ll) is that with Hg, one gets Hg(l). To quote a source (http://mercury.atomistry.com/chemical_properties.html ):

"whilst mercuric salts, with excess of mercury, form mercurous salts."

which is a property demonstrated by copper salts also.

nagyepf - 19-10-2018 at 11:34

Quote: Originally posted by AJKOER  
Is it possible to make mercury(I) fulminate the same way as mercury(II) fulminate?

Not sure, but from what I have learned of Hg(ll) is that with Hg, one gets Hg(l). To quote a source (http://mercury.atomistry.com/chemical_properties.html ):

"whilst mercuric salts, with excess of mercury, form mercurous salts."

which is a property demonstrated by copper salts also.

But not all copper salts.It would be pretty hard to make Cu2SO4 or CuNO3