[Sep]

Looking at how dense this stuff is and hearing the stories about how the bottom of glass jars break off I'd like store this precious metal with more care. After all it is toxic. I want something test tube like, except with a screw on cap which is rather easy to find, but what shall this container be composed of? Glass is a bit risky in my opinion for what i said earlier and really glass doesnt leave any room for human error.. i was thinking plastic, but could plastic hold this stuff well?  Would I have to worry about the plastic breaking because there is such a heavy metal in it? Perhaps some other suggestions?

[macman104]

Why oh why do you really want to store mercury?

[Sep]

Why oh why do you really want to store mercury?

Im not trying to establish a Hg storage facility but I would like to have some of this metal. About a small vial or so.

[Borek]

Small vial? I suppose polycarbonate should do.

[P]

I've been thinking about storing a small amount in a small glass bottle/sample jar. In case It breaks, I was thinking about putting it into a slightly larger glass jar with some padding around it to stop it flying about inside - Russian doll style with padding.  Thoughts? is this a good idea?  At least if the bottle were to break then the spill would be contained in the slightly larger sample jar.   

 

[Sep]

I've been thinking about storing a small amount in a small glass bottle/sample jar. In case It breaks, I was thinking about putting it into a slightly larger glass jar with some padding around it to stop it flying about inside - Russian doll style with padding.  Thoughts? is this a good idea?  At least if the bottle were to break then the spill would be contained in the slightly larger sample jar.   

 

You should have the outer shell made of something like plastic. Clear plastic that is. it will most likely never break and it's sort of a good insurance for your self.

[P]

Yea - that's a good idea  -  the glass inside the plastic then.  Clear of course so I can see my lovely sample. 

[Borek]

Just plastic will work for me, no need for the other layer of glass inside. That's as long as we are talking about few milliliters.

[Sep]

Just plastic will work for me, no need for the other layer of glass inside. That's as long as we are talking about few milliliters.

What about 100ml?

[nj_bartel]

That's a lot of mercury.

[Sep]

That's a lot of mercury.

I only have a couple ml right now, but I'd like to get my collection probably up to 50ml and I'd like the small bottle to have the strength much larger that holding 50ml so I can be certain it wont break.

[Arkcon]

Mercury is heavy, that's for sure.  But a small quantity is not going to break the bottom out of a glass bottle.  Now, if you have a ten gallon jug of water, and you try to carry it by the neck, it may snap clean off -- making neck weakens the glass.  But a few mls of mercury is not going to strain a decent bottle.  You never really know when you've gotten a crappy bottle though.

I gotta parrot macman104: 'tho.  You're not out to establish a basement Superfund site.  You want a ml, or 10 or 50, but not hundreds or thousands, so what does 50-100 ml do for you, that one or two doesn't?  It's a metal.  It's liquid at room temp.  It's in a vial.  How much do you need, just to look at?  How durable a vessel do you need, just to set it on a shelf?

[Sep]

I guess this is where differences in our personalities and thinking come in. The best I can say is that I'm really fascinated by it. Anyways, the reason I ask this is because I'm not trying to put the ~5ml of Hg I have in a big bottle where Im certain the glass is thick and strong, I'm trying to purchase a small vial with chork or cap and store it in there: Something small. I'm not sure how good the quality of glass of the bottles is. They are about .50 cents each, and I'm talking about 1oz(30ml) bottles which im going to purchse from http://www.specialtybottle.com . I can put the couple of ml of Hg I can currently in the bottle with ease, but if I fill up the bottle or even half would, would I have to worry because I'm a bit paranoid about that? And no the bottle will probably not sit on the shelf. I'd probably pick it up and turn it side to side and watch the mercury flow around for a minute or two here and there, but I'm not going to start shacking the way you shake the orange juice carton after it's been sitting in the fridge for a while nor am I going to hold it by it's neck.

[hmx9123]

Double contain it.  I have nearly 35lbs at home, double contained.

[Fleaker]

I'd go a little further:

If you're truly worried about any potential leaks, double contain it in clear plastic bottles, and then get a large LDPE ziploc bag and pack it with zinc powder. If any mercury were to somehow escape, it would quickly taken up by the zinc.

As for mercury handling: obviously handle it over some sort of deep plastic basin so that if any were to spill it can be removed. The worst thing about quicksilver is the quick part. If you spill a drop and it fragments, then you'll have a good time cleaning it up all about the lab, or basement, or wherever you have it. Also, it's very important that you keep your mercury clean because it makes potential cleanup much easier: dirty, floured mercury will not agglomerate and it won't amalgamate easily.

I don't really practice what I preach though: I have probably 3 kilograms sitting in glass right now! That is the heavy glass of my diffusion pump!