[RickQ]

Hi

Mercury is attracted to gold and also to sulfur.  How can I figure out which has the stronger bond to mercury - gold or sulfur?  And is there a way use numbers to compare the forces of attraction between the two? 

Thanks.

[Arkcon]

Gold forms a solution in mercury called an amalgam.  As for being attracted to one another, I don't recognize the term.  Nothing in particular "attracts" my morning coffee and table sugar, for example, I have to bring them together.  I do not know of any particular affinity of elemental sulfur for mercury, except in ancient alchemical tracts.  Fill us in on your particular application.

[RickQ]

Mercury was used to "grab" gold from rock deposits during the gold rush.   Gold foil is used in mercury vapor analyzers by detecting the amount of mercury vapor that "sticks" to the gold.

Mercury also "has a high affinity for sulfur bonds" in the human body, attaching to protein and other sulfur based things in the body.

I'm trying to compare the two concepts but I don't know the correct terminology or measurement to find out, for instance, which would mercury more likely attach to - gold or sulfur. 

Thanks for the input so far...

[Borek]

I'm trying to compare the two concepts but I don't know the correct terminology or measurement to find out, for instance, which would mercury more likely attach to - gold or sulfur. 

These are - in general - different processes. Sulfur + mercury gives new compound - mercury (II) sulfide. Gold + mercury gives mixture - an alloy. For now you are trying to compare apples and oranges. Once you will define experimental setup we can speculate on the outcome, but it is impossible right now.

[Arkcon]

Still wondering which you really mean -- elemental mercury, mercury salts, sulfur powder, thiol groups (thats -SH found in proteins, for example) or gold metal.  Some thoughts:

Say I've spilled a puddle of mercury, I touch it with my left hand, 'cause I'm a dummy, whoops we'rd my wedding ring go?  That's how fast the amalgam formation happens, so I've heard.  I've never actually seen it.

I could also have used an old fashioned mercury cleanup kit, apparently (according to google) they used to contain elemental sulfur but thats a slower reaction, which is why nowadays they all contain just mossy zinc, which works fast by amalgamation.

I wouldn't expect mercuric chloride, or say dimethylmercury to combine with gold nearly as fast as elemental mercury, if at all.