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Mercury Thiocyanate chemical reaction

sherbetbizarre

sherbetbizarre

Special Branch
Joined
Sep 4, 2004
Messages
5,242
Well, it looks pretty amazing...

As the video makes clear, the chemical you see being spread across the bottom of the tank is Hg(SCN)2, aka Mercury(II) Thiocyanate. Mercury-containing compounds can have some pretty nasty health effects, and Hg(SCN)2 is no different.

What's wild about this reaction is that pretty much every stage of the experiment has the potential to do you harm in one way or another; according to Helmenstine, "handling the mercury thiocyanate, breathing the smoke or touching the ash column," and coming into contact with the reaction products during cleanup are all risks that should be be considered when performing the reaction. Protective measures should therefore include no less than goggles, lab coat, gloves, and a fume hood — not to mention a scoopula for transferring the Hg(SCN)2 around. That's pretty crazy to think about, especially when you learn that people used to play with the stuff like it was nothing.
Click to expand...
http://io9.com/5947370/what-in-the-name ... socialflow
 
You could get those fireworks in the UK as well - I remember seeing them about 1961ish. Pharoah's snake. No, we weren't wearing any protection.

I would never want to be watching that demonstration on acid. You can let your mind see enough worrying things in that expanding mass just on a cup of tea.
 
Yes, I recall a set of Indoor Fireworks we let off on the dining table after Christmas lunch back in the sixties. No thought about the danger!

The quantities were very small, though. IIRC the format was a cardboard sheet divided into squares, each with a central dome of a chemical. They were lit by pressing a lighted cigarette to the top.

Turd-like expansions, flashing lights, odd noises were all given fancy names. There is a "Cobra" type powder demonstrated on youtube:

Turd-like snake firework

Much less impressive than the strange organic forms in the tank!

And a whole set of them Here!

:)
 
I can remember buying these as 'indoor fireworks' in the late 70s, perhaps very early 80s.

Most of them were pretty underwhealming. The snakey one did always have an undue resemblance to a turd.
 
The video in the OP is quite impressive. It's amazing and spooky how it all looks so organic.
 
Oh, I used them too, great things.

what do you mean, they are hazardous?
 
Saw this great reaction between mercury and aluminium. Watch your tin foil hats.

You can skip to the middle if you're bored with the explanations.

 
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