Title: Mercuric Chloride
CAS Registry Number: 7487-94-7
Additional Names: Mercury bichloride; corrosive sublimate; mercury perchloride; corrosive mercury chloride
Molecular Formula: Cl2Hg
Molecular Weight: 271.50
Percent Composition: Cl 26.12%, Hg 73.88%
Line Formula: HgCl2
Properties: Crystals or white granules or powder. Violent poison! May be fatal if swallowed. d 5.4. mp 277°; volatilizes unchanged at about 300°; also slightly volatile at ordinary temp; appreciably so at 100°. One gram dissolves in 13.5 ml water (soly is increased by HCl or alkali chlorides), in 2.1 ml boiling water, 3.8 ml alc, 1.6 ml boiling alc, 200 ml benzene, 22 ml ether, 12 ml glycerol, 40 ml acetic acid; also sol in methanol, acetone, ethyl acetate; slightly sol in carbon disulfide, pyridine. pH about 4.7. Also reported as 3.2 for 0.2 molar aq soln. Coagulates albumin; produces with NaOH a yellow ppt (difference from calomel, which turns black). Incompat: Formates, sulfites, hypophosphites, phosphates, sulfides, albumin, gelatin, alkalies, alkaloid salts, ammonia, lime water, antimony and arsenic, bromides, borax, carbonates; reduced iron; copper, iron, lead, silver salts; infusions of cinchona, columbo, oak bark or senna; tannic acid; vegetable astringents.
Melting point: mp 277°
Density: d 5.4
CAUTION: Highly toxic. Corrosive to mucous membranes. Ingestion may cause severe nausea, vomiting, hematemesis, abdominal pain, diarrhea, melena, renal damage, prostration. 1 or 2 g is frequently fatal. Poisoning and death also have occurred from intrauterine douches and application of alcoholic soln to large areas of skin. Do not breathe dust. Keep away from feed or food products. Wash hands before eating or smoking. Antidote: Dimercaprol (BAL). Review of clinical toxicology of mercury and its compounds: H. B. Gerstner, J. E. Huff, J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 2, 491-526 (1977).
Use: Preserving (kyanizing) wood and anatomical specimens; also embalming; disinfecting; browning and etching steel and iron; intensifier in photography; white reserve in fabric printing; tanning leather; electroplating aluminum; depolarizer for dry batteries; freeing gold from lead; magic photograms; mordant for rabbit and beaver furs; staining wood and vegetable ivory pink; manuf of ink for mercurography; treating seed potatoes; manuf other mercury compds. As an important reagent in anal. chemistry.
Therap-Cat: Topical antiseptic, disinfectant.
Therap-Cat-Vet: Caustic, antiseptic, disinfectant.
Keywords: Antiseptic/Disinfectant; Mercurial compounds. |