Process to produce mercury sulfide by heating mercury and sulfur at reduced pressure with conditioning agent

摘要

In a process to produce mercury sulfide for subsequent safe disposal, the mercury elementary mercury is mixed with elementary sulfur or a sulfur compound at a temperature greater than 50[deg] C and at reduced pressure. Further claimed is a commensurate assembly in which the mixing process takes place at a temperature of above 150[deg] C and preferably at the melting point of mercury. The ingredients are present in a stoichiometric ratio of between 0.19: 1 and 0.23: 1 in a gas-tight chamber devoid of oxygen and flushed by inert gas. The mixing process continues for 30 to 60 minutes and processes between 10 and 10,000 litres per batch.