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Re: mercury amounts & repairs
At 04:22 PM 2/20/96 -0800, you wrote:
>
>I'd like to hear any feedback or suggestions otherwise. There are also
>concerns w/ the phosphors I understand, Any more info on this? I've heard
>of a substance used (I think a powder) used to clean up merc. spills -
>could someone give me more info and where to get it?
>
The merc. spill clean-up powder I have used in the past (in chem labs)
is sulfur flour (finely ground - the finer the better - 200 mesh
or better). The problem with using sulfur to clean up mercury spills
is that it forms a "skin" of mercury/sulfur on the surface of droplets
thus not allowing the sulfur to combine with the remaining mercury.
Of course the best thing to do is not spill it....<grin>....but if you
are a klutz like me you need to plan on having a spill at some point. I
have seen info on the net from people who use a router to make a "channel
around the edge of their mercury handling area's table so that drops don't
roll off before they can be cleaned up....trouble is mercury will get into
microscopic cracks in surfaces and out gas mercury vapor for a long time...
Glass makes the best surface to contain mercury, a glass (pyrex) baking pan
(shallow) used as the surface for your mercury handling area will allow you
to catch 100% of all spills and if a spill occurs to immediately fill the
pan with good old water which prevents exposure of the surface of the spilled
mercury to air, stopping vaporization. You could then pour the mercury plus the
water into a glass jar...."instant cleanup". Note that the glass baking
pan HAS to be a new one with NO scratches to trap mercury in...and after pouring
the mercury out I would still move outdoors with the pan and clean it's surface
with sulfur flour, followed by soap and water (wearing rubber gloves of course).
Also, shop ventillation is key here too...I plan on forced air, to keep any
stray vapors from mercury, blockout, etc. on the move outdoors...
I've had to deal with mercury spills before and believe me you don't want
to mess around with it. Even if immediately cleaning up a spill means loosing
a unit....it's not worth your health....
A note for "neon newcomers"...mercury vaporizes at room temp and is easily
absorbed thru the skin. This stuff is EXTREMELY TOXIC....Just go to your
local library and read the MSDS on it sometime....
Just my .02 and how I plan to handle it when I get my shop finished....
/\/\ike Roesch
Belvoir Studios
Chattanooga, TN
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