Page 11 Advertisement 2

New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 765, 19 March 1954, Page 11

M ERCURY , also known by its old English name quick- silver; is the only pure metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures. One of the heaviest of the elements, it is obtained from cinnabar, 2 compound of mercury and sulphur, which is mined in Italy, Spain and the Americas. The best known use of mercury is in thermometers and barometers, but its ability to dissolve certain other metals makes it of importance in the chemical industry, and in gold-mining where it is used in one method of extracting gold: Compounds of mercury have many uses: Both mercurous and mercuric chloride play an important part in medicine_Paracelsus, the Swiss physician was using mercury compounds early in the sixteenth century. In agriculture they are used in the manufacture of seed dress ings: Oxides of the metal are used in special marine paints, and the bright scarlet pigment, vermilion, is made from mercuric sulphide. Fulminate of mercury, 4 powerful Ox- plosive, is used in the manufacture of detonators. LCI uses mercury in one method of produciug caustic soda and chlorine. It also uses compounds of mercury to make plasties, dyestuffs and other chemicals, including phthalic anhydride; One ef the intermediates used in the manufacture ef the brilliant "Monastral" blue pigment. IC IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES (NZ) LTD;