Can you name the most fusible metal? Hint: In its normal state, it is liquid, silvery and highly poisonous. Guessed? In any case, let's find out more about him.
What is the most fusible metal?
Even before our era, the Egyptians, Sumerians and Chinese used this substance to prepare "immortality pills" and other drugs that were supposed to give a long life. It was used in paints and cosmetics. The Romans used it to refine gold, and the alchemists tried to extract gold directly from it.
The ancient Greeks decided to call the most fusible metal "silver" and "water", which in Latin sounded like hydrargyrum. In the Proto-Slavic language, its name sounded like "mercury", but where this name came from is unknown. Perhaps from the word "ore".
It was obtained from cinnabar by roasting or extracted in liquid form directly from rocks. In alchemy, mercury corresponded to the astronomical symbol of Mercury. She was considered the mother of metals and, together with sulfur and s alt, was part of the theory of three principles. Mercury was considered the main element of the philosopher's stone. And although the world has known about it for a long time, the description of its properties andproof that it was indeed metal was only presented in 1759. Mikhail Lomonosov and Iosif Braun did it.
Properties of mercury
So, the most fusible metal is mercury. For its melting, a temperature of 234.32 K or -38.83 ° C is needed. In addition to it, lead, thallium, gallium, bismuth, tin, cadmium melt at low temperatures. Mercury boils at 629.88 K or 356.73 degrees Celsius, and at 4.155 K it behaves like a superconductor.
She has a silvery-white color with a pronounced sheen. In the periodic table, it is assigned the number 80. It is the only metal that is in a liquid state at room temperature. In the solid state, it has a rhombohedral lattice.
The most fusible metal is inactive at low temperatures. Under such conditions, it reacts poorly to oxidizing solutions and many gases. It does not react with atmospheric oxygen either, although it dissolves perfectly in aqua regia.
With other metals, mercury forms various alloys, amalgams. Forms very strong bonds with organic compounds. It combines with chlorine or iodine after heating, forming toxic and practically non-dissociating substances.
Effect on the body
The most fusible metal has the first degree of toxicity. It evaporates already at room temperature, and the hotter the air, the faster the evaporation rate. Mercury is poisonous to the human body.affecting the nervous, digestive, respiratory and other systems. This can lead to death. Symptoms appear after 8-24 hours.
Long-term exposure to small doses of mercury manifests itself in the form of chronic ailments. A person becomes irritable and quick-tempered, suffers from lack of sleep and headaches, loses efficiency, gets tired quickly.
Acute poisonings may have similar symptoms at first. They are also accompanied by fever, weakness, vomiting and nausea, stomach pain, tremors in the whole body or in certain parts of it. The substance affects the kidneys, which is manifested by frequent urge to urinate.
The widespread use of mercury has often been the cause of occupational poisoning. So, in the Middle Ages, it was used to make felt for hats. The symptoms that appeared in the masters were called the "disease of the old hatter."
Mercury food poisoning is possible for those who love seafood. The metal is perfectly absorbed by the body of marine life, gradually accumulating in it. In regions where people regularly consume fish and other seafood, symptoms of chronic poisoning may occur. They are especially common in coastal areas of Canada, Colombia, Brazil and China.
Using and finding in nature
The world's most fusible metal is very scattered in nature. Its total concentration in the earth's crust is approximately 83 mg / t, which makes it a rather rare element. It is found in large quantities in clay shales and sulfide minerals, especially insphalerite and antimonite. Occurs in livingstone and metacinnabarites.
Despite its toxicity, mercury is used in many areas, such as metallurgy, medicine, chemical industry, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and even agriculture. The most fusible metal is suitable for filling energy-saving lamps, thermometers and barometers.
In heavy industry, the substance is used for mercury steam turbines, vacuum plants and diffusion pumps. They are filled with measuring instruments, batteries, dry batteries. Mercury is involved in the production of air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines. In agriculture, it is used as part of pesticides.
