DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONDITIONS FOR STORING THALLIUM AMALGAM

Abstract

It has been established that lNH2SO4 solution and distilled water can be used as a protective medium for a long-term storage (30-40 days) of thallium amalgam of eutectic composition (8.6 mas.%), without sliming of its surface and an insignificant change of its concentration. An inverse dependence between the decomposition reaction rate and the ratio of the solution volume per unit of the contact surface (V:S), which corresponds to the height of the liquid layer (h) above the amalgam, is observed. At h ~ 2.5 cm and higher, the reaction rate becomes stabilized. The value of metal loss during its storage for 10-15 days does not exceed 0.5-1.0 mas.% of the initial thallium content in the amalgam. It has been shown that the rate of dissolution of thallium from amalgam is rather low, and in sulfuric acid solution it is only slightly higher than that in water with all S:V ratios. A similar picture is observed upon thallium amalgam decomposition in the same media in an open vessel; the difference consists only in a higher K value (Table 4). Thus, with S:V = 1:2.5, in an open vessel K in lNH2SO4 makes up 10,5.1011 mol/cm2.sec, and in H2O – 7.3.1011 mol/cm2.sec, whereas in a closed vessel K in lNH2SO4 makes up 1,9.1011 mol/cm2. sec, and in H2O – 1.5.1011 mol/cm2.sec. For 40 days of thallium amalgam (8.54 mas.%) storage in 1NH2SO4 the loss of thallium has been 1.3 mas.%, and in the distilled water - 1 mas.%. The quantity of the dissolved metal increases in proportion to the experiment duration, which is characteristic for a zero-order reaction, and this dependence is observed for all S:V ratios from 1:1 to 1:7. Besides, a possibility to use some saturated hydrocarbons, wherein no sliming of thallium amalgam occurs, as a protective wash liquid has been shown.