sorgatz@ttidca.TTI.COM ( Avatar) (03/02/90)
In article <1990Feb27.055111.18154@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> forbes@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Jeff Forbes) writes: +In article <89936@psuecl.bitnet> peg@psuecl.bitnet (PAUL E. GANTER) writes: +>own probe. We went with aluminum as it appeared unaffected by mercury. +> +The mercury cannot amalgamate the aluminum though the oxide coat. Aluminium +can be amalgamated with certain mercury salts which is useful if you want to +react the aluminum with something that cannot break through the oxide layer. + Seems to me that if you *scratch* the surface of aluminum, put some of the liquid mercury onto the freshly opened surface, then add some water; the aluminum is somehow corroded or eaten-up. Anyone else tried this? I read about the reaction somewhere...what was that class...zzzzz! ;-) -- -Avatar-> (aka: Erik K. Sorgatz) KB6LUY +-------------------------+ Citicorp(+)TTI *----------> panic trap; type = N+1 * 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 +-------------------------+ {csun,philabs,psivax,pyramid,quad1,rdlvax,retix}!ttidca!sorgatz **
forbes@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Jeff Forbes) (03/02/90)
In article <10391@ttidca.TTI.COM> sorgatz@ttidcb.tti.com (Erik Sorgatz - Avatar) writes: > Seems to me that if you *scratch* the surface of aluminum, put some of the >liquid mercury onto the freshly opened surface, then add some water; the >aluminum is somehow corroded or eaten-up. Anyone else tried this? I read >about the reaction somewhere...what was that class...zzzzz! ;-) >-- >-Avatar-> (aka: Erik K. Sorgatz) KB6LUY +-------------------------+ >Citicorp(+)TTI *----------> panic trap; type = N+1 * >3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 +-------------------------+ >{csun,philabs,psivax,pyramid,quad1,rdlvax,retix}!ttidca!sorgatz ** Aluminum is extremely reactive and it oxides immediately after the oxide layer is broken. If you put a puddle of mercury on an Al plate and then scratch it,it might work but it is not a practicle method of amalgamating Al. Jeff