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US 5,238,488 AGranted
Process and solution for transforming insoluble mercury metal into a soluble compound
AssigneeGas Research Institute
InventorStanley M. Wilhelm
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and solution for transforming insoluble mercury metal into a soluble compound. The process includes oxidizing elemental mercury to form mercury cations, contacting the mercury cations with a complexing agent to form a soluble complex, and dissolving the soluble complex with a solvent. The solution contains an oxidizing agent, a complexing agent and a solvent.
Claims12
A process for transforming insoluble mercury metal into a soluble mercury compound comprising:
- (a) oxidizing elemental mercury with nitric acid to form mercury cations;
- (b) contacting the mercury cations with an organic compound suitable for forming the soluble mercury compound;
- and
- (c) dissolving the soluble mercury compound with a solvent.
1 more element
A solution for transforming insoluble mercury metal into a soluble mercury compound, the solution comprising:
- nitric acid, a complexing agent selected from the group consisting of oxygen containing compounds, sulfur containing compounds, phosphorous containing compounds, nitrogen containing compounds and mixtures thereof, and a solvent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.