Mercury(II) nitrate is an

inorganic compound In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as ''inorganic chemistr ...

with the formula Hg(NO₃)₂^.xH₂O. These colorless or white

soluble In chemistry, solubility is the ability of a substance, the solute, to form a solution with another substance, the solvent. Insolubility is the opposite property, the inability of the solute to form such a solution. The extent of the solubi ...

crystalline

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantiti ...

s are occasionally used as a reagent. It is made by treating mercury with hot concentrated

nitric acid Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available nitric ...

. Neither anhydrous nor monohydrate has been confirmed by

X-ray crystallography X-ray crystallography is the experimental science determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to diffract into many specific directions. By measuring the angle ...

. The anhydrous material is more widely used.

Uses

Mercuric nitrate has been used in mercuration of ketones. Mercuric nitrate was formerly used in carroting felt for hats.

Health information

Mercury compounds are highly toxic. The use of this compound by

hatters Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners, typically women shopkeepers, produced or imported an inventory of ...

and the subsequent

mercury poisoning Mercury poisoning is a type of metal poisoning due to exposure to mercury. Symptoms depend upon the type, dose, method, and duration of exposure. They may include muscle weakness, poor coordination, numbness in the hands and feet, skin rashes ...

of said hatters is a common theory of where the phrase "

mad as a hatter "Mad as a hatter" is a colloquial English phrase used in conversation to suggest (lightheartedly) that a person is suffering from insanity. The etymology of the phrase is uncertain, with explanations both connected and unconnected to the trade of ...

" came from.

References

External links

ATSDR - Toxic Substances Portal - Mercury
(11/14/2013)
ATSDR - Public Health Statement: Mercury
(11/14/2013)

(link not traceable 11/14/2013)
ATSDR - Medical Management Guidelines for Mercury
(11/14/2013)
ATSDR - Toxicological Profile: Mercury
(11/14/2013)

(link not traceable 11/14/2013)

* ''How to Make Good Mercury Electrical Connections'',

Popular Science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, inclu ...

monthly, February 1919, Unnumbered page, Scanned by Google Books: https://books.google.com/books?id=7igDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT14 {{nitrates Mercury(II) compounds Nitrates Oxidizing agents

Uses

Health information

See also

References

External links