THERMODYNAMICS OF SOLUTION OF MERCURY METAL .I. TRACER DETERMINATION OF SOLUBILITY IN VARIOUS LIQUIDS

The temperature dependence of the solubility of mercury in 17 solvents has been measured using a radiotracer technique. The solubilities at 25° were found to vary from about 10-6 mole/l. for aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons and ethers to about 10-7 mole/l. for water and perfluorodimethylcyclobutane. The solubility parameter equations developed by Hildebrand and Scatchard give calculated values of the mercury solubilities at 25° which agree well with the experimental in many systems. That this is so appears to result from a cancellation of several factors, since these equations do not take the metallic nature of mercury into account. The partial entropies and heats of solution of mercury were determined from the temperature dependence of the mercury solubilities. The experimental entropies were found to differ from ideal.