[sdiy] Mercury Vapor Rectifiers

[Roy J. Tellason]

On Monday 27 March 2006 12:38 am, R. D. Davis wrote:
> Now for the question: I've read in a couple of places that mercury
> vapor rectifiers emit mercury vapor into the air outside of the tubes,
> but since these are sealed vacuum tubes, I don't see how this is
> possible.

I haven't looked at that particular one,  but a great many of those are not 
vacuum,  but gas-filled.  They also seem kinda fussy as to what temperature 
ranges they'll work properly at...

> Is there something that I'm overlooking, or are, as I strongly suspect, any
> writings mentioning that possibility written by someone who's extremely
> mistaken about the dangers of these tubes? (ok, if they're dropped, or
> something falls on them, I realize that there will be a little problem of
> some mercury on the loose and will have an excuse, a safety reason, for not
> bothering with using a vacuum cleaner to keep my work area clean).

Using a vacuum or not,  you break them and you've got problems,  because that 
vapor *will* get into the air over time.  I just read somewhere recently 
(past day or two) that it's not the mercury itself,  but organic mercury 
salts that are a problem.

And besides,  you want to get rid of them and you've got a hazmat situation, 
you can't just toss them in the trash.  Breaking them would also be a hazmat 
incident.

I'm collecting a whole mess of tube data at this point in time (have a look at 
the page I have at http://yourpage.blazenet.net/rtellason/tubes.html for an 
example although I've got a lot bigger updated copy that I'm working on) but 
I have not looked into what's available out there these days,  can you even 
still buy mercury-vapor rectifiers?

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
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Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
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