Monthly Archives: April 2011

Amalgamating gold for real

Posted on April 6, 2011 by

Before anyone writes in and tells me that I’m only concerned with the simple beauty of the process, let me draw your attention to two videos that show how you can use mercury to extract and purify gold and silver. … Continue reading →

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Mercury amalgams – behind the scenes for Elements

Posted on April 6, 2011 by

It was as a graduate student that I first dissolved things in mercury. We’d drop small chips of sodium into a flask containing mercury. After a few seconds sitting on the surface the sodium would vanish into the liquid, accompanied … Continue reading →

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Iodine – a short introduction

Posted on April 4, 2011 by

For those of you coming to Elements on Friday 8 April, here’s a little taster of some of the weirdness you’ll be able to see at the iodine station down in the bowels of the Williams Lounge. In addition to … Continue reading →

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Pardy’s Apparatus

Posted on April 1, 2011 by

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction and, for once, I get the chance to write about The Chemist as Hero – Герой нашего времени, if you like. A man so filled with talents that it leaves the rest of … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic Kit, stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments