View single post by steve of oxford
 Posted: Wed May 30th, 2012 00:46
steve of oxford

 

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Constable wrote:
I don't think so.

A quick look in Gmelin doesn't show anything.

Is it really oxide or basic nitrate from hydrolysis?

Ed


No it's oxide by pyrolysis in the case of heating the nitrate crystals, or, I suspect a kind of slow pyrolysis by leaving the crystals in the sun. Slowly reacted with the oxygen in the air, basically.

Here's from wiki;
The red form of HgO can be made by heating Hg on oxygen at roughly 350 °C, or by pyrolysis of Hg(NO3)2.

Moreover, heating the Hg(NO3)2 crystals causes them to melt, thus driving out any water, then the liquid crystal dries up and goes orange....because it's oxidized. I think the same thing has happened to the crystals I left in the sun, although the weaker colour suggests that not as much oxygen has been reacted with.

Last edited on Wed May 30th, 2012 00:49 by steve of oxford