Amalgam

Amalgam is an alloy made of silver and mercury in a certain proportion, which has certain special properties and uses. The main components of amalgam are mercury, which usually accounts for 70% to 80%, and silver, which accounts for 20% to 30%, depending on the specific application. Amalgam is commonly used in electrical engineering, chemical industry, watchmaking, measurement, medical treatment and other fields.

Silver-mercury alloy has good wettability, conductivity and plasticity. It can be used to fill electrical contacts and perfuse electrical devices. It can protect electrical contacts from corrosion and oxidation and extend the service life of electrical devices. At the same time, silver-mercury alloy can also be used in chemical reactors or act as a catalyst, and has good catalytic effect. In addition, silver-mercury alloy can also be used to make precision instruments and measuring instruments, such as thermometers, pressure gauges, balances, etc., with high accuracy and sensitivity .

However, silver amalgam contains the highly toxic element mercury, so attention should be paid to safety and environmental issues during use to avoid harm to the human body and the environment.

Amalgam is an alloy containing silver and mercury with the following characteristics:

1. High density: The density of amalgam is about 13.5g/cm³, which is much higher than that of silver.

2. High Corrosiveness: Silver amalgam is highly corrosive and can be used as negative electrode material in batteries.

3. Volatile: Silver amalgam is highly volatile, so you need to be extra careful when using it to avoid harm to the human body from mercury vapor.

4. Low phase change temperature: The phase change temperature of silver-mercury alloy is very low, only -38.87℃, which is lower than normal temperature. Therefore, it can be used as a refrigerant under low temperature conditions.

5. Good electrical conductivity: Silver-mercury alloy has good electrical conductivity and can be used to manufacture electronic components, etc.

In short, silver amalgam has some unique properties, but due to its great harm to human health and the environment, it has been gradually phased out.