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Mercury.

Atomic Number:80

Mercury Exists As A Natural Compound Bound To Sulfur In A 1:1 Ratio Forming A Rock Called Cinnabar. Cinnabar Is Mined From The Ground And Is Only Available In Certain Places Where Has Had Prior Volcanic Action Has Brought Up Mineral Solutions From Deep Inside The Earth.

Extraction: The Most Notable Sources Are In Spain And China. It Is Extracted From Cinnabar By A Relatively Simple Process Of Heating And Collecting The Vapors. In Conventional Factories It Is Ground Into A Fine Powder, Then It's Heated. The Sulfur In Cinnabar Reacts With The Oxygen In The Air Which Then Forms Sulfur Dioxide. At Reasonably High Temperatures (675° F), The Mercury Vaporizes. Above The Furnace Where The Power Is Heated Is A Condenser That Chills The Mercury Gas Into It's Liquid Form At Room Temperature.

Uses: Mercury Is Used In Laboratories For Making Thermometers, Barometers, Diffusion Pumps And Many Other Instruments. It Is Also Used For Mercury Switches, Other Electrical Apparatus's As An Electrode In Some Types Of Electrolysis, And For Making Batteries (Mercury Cells)

Cost: The Cost Is About $5.00 For 100 Grams Of Pure Mercury. Or $0.51 Per 100 Grams In Bulk.