Separating Mercury from Water

[gedanate]

New discovery, in the news today:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-...er-a-way-to-remove-mercury-from-water/6865462

 

[AtomRat]

I see your post mate, I'm not letting this dissapear in the forum.

Interesting find mate. My first thought was, what happens to amalgams when in contact with this polymer? Does the gold fall out or stay in the mercury?

Second thought: a mercury filled man made polymer.. almost sounds like nuclear waste to me and disposal of the new product is still an issue that needs a solution.

I'm gonna see if this can be made at home, hopefully nothing too serious is needed depending on the process.

If mercury is soaked into it, how is it then removed from the polymer..? By burning it into the atmosphere I guess with multi-stage filters but being a polymer it could probably be dissolved by a acetone or similar

Air has a high water content too, so nit only sucking mercury from creeks, but also should work as an air filter too
Good find mate...good find

 

[gedanate]

Thanks, AtomRat.

I am glad that someone else in this forum recognised some value in the info. But I think your chemistry knowledge leave mine for dead.

 

[AtomRat]

Its one of those 'break through' discoveries really imo. Being able to absorb pollutants, but like I mentioned..they need a disposal technique for it.

If they find a disposal technique which recovers and filteres mercury ( and whatevrr else they find the polymer does ) for further use, they have made a great product. Amazing

Any basic chemistry book will teach you what I know but its the mixture of all my hobbies which makes the learning easier. All my hobbies consist of anything that's been done by man or natural forces I'm interested in everything.