Extraction of Mercury

Ore of Mercury: Cinnabar (HgS) Modern Process: Cinnabar is crushed to powder and the crushed ore is then concentrated by forth flotation process. The concentrated ore is then charged in a shaft furnace through a hopper with charcoal. Furnace is fired and the following reaction takes place. 2HgS + 3O2 2HgO + 2SO2 HgO + C Hg + CO

Extraction of Silver
Ores of Silver Silver glance or Argentite (AgS) Horn silver (AgCl) Ruby Silver (3Ag2S, Sb2S3) Silver Copper glance or stromeyerite (Ag2S, Cu2S) Extraction of Silver 1. Concentration: Crushed powder is concentrated by froth floatation process. 2. The concentrated Ag2S is then treated with 0.5% solution of NaCN in presence of air. Ag2S + 2NaCN AgCN + NaCN 2AgCN + Na2S Na[Ag(CN)2] 2Na2SO4 + 4NaOH + 2S

4Na2S + 5O2(air) + 2H2O 3. Precipitation of Silver As, E0 2 E0 Zn / Zn Ag / Ag 2

Hence Zn will replace Ag from the complex as follows 2Na[Ag(CN)2] + Zn Na2[Zn(CN)4] + 2Ag 4. Electro-refining: Metallic silver thus obtained contains impurities like Zn, Cu, Au etc. It is purified by electro-refining process. The electrolytic bath contains AgNO solution with 10% HNO3. Impure silver sheets are used as anode and thin sheets of pure silver are used as cathode. As electric current is passed through the electrolyte , the anode gradually dissolves and pure silver is deposited on the cathode. Impurities like Zn and Cu go into the solution while gold settles down at the anode as anode mud.