Adsorption of Mercuric Ions by Ferric Hydroxide

A part of mercuric compounds was removed with the other precipitates from brines in the purification process of industrial electrolysis. Basal investigation was made on adsorption of mercuric ion on ferric hydroxide gel. The concentration of ferric hydroxide did not affected on pH, at which mercuric ion could be adsorbed on its gel, if the halide concentration were constant. There was resemblance to pH values between decreasing of the relative concentration of mercuric tetrahalide complex and adsorbing of mercuric ion on the ferric hydroxide gel at the constant halide concentrations. These observations suggest that the adsorption of mercuric ion can not be occurred by the formation of its tetrahalide complex. It is also possible that mercuric ion was removed from waste water with co-precipitation or adsorption by the ferric hydroxide gel under the appropriate conditions based on the above experiments.