Deutsch: Quecksilber / Español: Mercury / Français: Mercury
Mercury commonly refers to the planet Mercury, the smallest planet which orbits the Sun or the element Mercury, a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80.
In the industrial and industry context, mercury refers to the metallic element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. Mercury is a silvery-white, dense, and highly toxic substance that is used in various industrial and industrial applications, despite its toxicity and potential for environmental damage.
Examples of the use of mercury in the industrial and industry context include:
- Electrical switches and relays, where mercury is used as a contact material in mercury-wetted relays
- Dental fillings, where mercury is used in amalgam dental fillings
- Batteries, where mercury is used in some alkaline batteries
- Chlorine production, where mercury is used as a catalyst in the production of chlorine and caustic soda
- Light sources, where mercury is used in fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps
- Measuring instruments, where mercury is used in barometers, thermometers, and other instruments
- Gold mining, where mercury is used in the process of amalgamation to extract gold from ores.
Due to its toxicity and environmental impact, the use of mercury in various applications has been regulated and restricted in many countries, and alternative materials and methods are being developed and adopted to replace it.