How convert Hg chloride to nitrate

[pippo]

People,

 

Have some Mercuric chloride and want to convert to the mercuric nitrate, if possible/practical. Can leave it in aqueous solution as a 1Normal strength- do not need to have a crystalized nitrate.

 

Any advice appreciated. (I have converted Be chloride to the nitrate in the past by boiling/reduction, with continual addition of excess nitric....)

 

Thanks.

[pavelcherepan]

First of all both the initial and resulting mercury compounds are very toxic so I don't recommend performing this reaction unless you're qualified and have carefully perused relevant MSDS and taken all necessary precautions.

To get mercury nitrate you would need to react HgCl with silver nitrate in an aqueous solution, but yet again, it's dangerous.

P.S. Silver nitrate is toxic too, and so is the resulting silver chloride. Basically everything in this reaction is toxic. Fun times.

Edited December 16, 2015 by pavelcherepan

[pippo]

Thanks, pavel. I am an experienced chemist. Just wasnt sure of the reaction. Was hoping to just add nitric. Deal with toxic stuff every day. But your advice is still good. I dont think this is worth the mess.

Edited December 16, 2015 by pippo

[John Cuthber]

Repeated boiling down with nitric acid will do the job, but it's slow and the fumes / spray is a nasty idea.

I'd precipitate the mercury with dilute sodium hydroxide then wash the ppt and redissolve it in nitric.

[pippo]

Repeated boiling down with nitric acid will do the job, but it's slow and the fumes / spray is a nasty idea.

I'd precipitate the mercury with dilute sodium hydroxide then wash the ppt and redissolve it in nitric.

Wow, good idea, John! Relatively clean operation, I think, too. Now, when you say ppt the Hg, will one actually see the liquid metal? Could I simply use excess of NaOH? Like, 1N NaOH in excess?

 

thanks.

Edited December 18, 2015 by pippo

[John Cuthber]

i don't mean to ppt the metal (That wound also be an option, but more complex).

I meant add NaOH or some such and ppt the stuff as the (I'm not certain) oxide or hydroxide or whatever.

Then use that to make the nitrate.

 

This is high-school chemistry . Why are you asking the question?

[pippo]

i don't mean to ppt the metal (That wound also be an option, but more complex).

I meant add NaOH or some such and ppt the stuff as the (I'm not certain) oxide or hydroxide or whatever.

Then use that to make the nitrate.

 

This is high-school chemistry . Why are you asking the question?

 

Why? Because I dont know how to do it and dont know exactly what you meant. No reason to berate a fellow member- right , John?? Maybe you shouldnt reply if you can refrain from negative comments like yours above. Maybe I had this question in High school chem but dont remember . Do you remember everything? Sheesh.......

[John Cuthber]

OK, so are you an experienced chemist, as you claim, or one who doesn't know basic chemistry, as you also claim?