The figure shows a perforation in the bottom of a hypochlorite tank caused by liquid mercury lying on the bottom of the tank. The tank had a float valve that contained elemental mercury. The float valve failed mechanically releasing some amount of liquid mercury into the tank. Although the tank was epoxy coated, it nonetheless perforated in a few months time producing the hole in the picture. In the galvanic attack, the mercury deposit was the cathode and the steel was the anode.


Mercury Galvanic Corrosion (photo courtesy of U.S. Navy, 2002)

The interaction of mercury with materials of construction has not been intensively investigated until recently. Mercury corrosion in the present context means corrosion of metals caused by liquid mercury in contact with metals, corrosion of metals caused by mercury as a dissolved species in the corrosive environment, corrosion of metals whose surfaces are contaminated by mercury and corrosion of metallic mercury.


Liquid Mercury l Liquid Metal Embrittlement l Dental Amalgam Corrosion l Oil and Gas
Aqueous Corrosion l Copper LME l Galvanic Corrosion l Mercury and Steel

Mercury Corrosion