Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!iuvax!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!aries!forbes
From: forbes@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Jeff Forbes)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Mercury vs. Aluminum
Message-ID: <1990Mar2.063244.22601@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 2 Mar 90 06:32:44 GMT
References: <25E934B0.37FC@deimos.cis.ksu.edu> <89936@psuecl.bitnet> <1990Feb27.055111.18154@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <10391@ttidca.TTI.COM>
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Reply-To: forbes@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (Jeff Forbes)
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In article <10391@ttidca.TTI.COM> sorgatz@ttidcb.tti.com (Erik Sorgatz - Avatar) writes:
> Seems to me that if you *scratch* the surface of aluminum, put some of the
>liquid mercury onto the freshly opened surface, then add some water; the
>aluminum is somehow corroded or eaten-up. Anyone else tried this?  I read
>about the reaction somewhere...what was that class...zzzzz! ;-)
>-- 
>-Avatar-> (aka: Erik K. Sorgatz) KB6LUY           +-------------------------+
>Citicorp(+)TTI                          *----------> panic trap; type = N+1 *
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>{csun,philabs,psivax,pyramid,quad1,rdlvax,retix}!ttidca!sorgatz **

Aluminum is extremely reactive and it oxides immediately after the oxide 
layer is broken. If you put a puddle of mercury on an Al plate and then
scratch it,it might work but it is not a practicle method of amalgamating Al.

		Jeff