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Why must mercury vapour be condensed after cinnabar is roasted?
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mercury processing
Mercury in the bulb of a thermometer.
When cinnabar (mercury sulfide) is roasted, it decomposes to yield free mercury in the form of a gas. Mercury vapour must be condensed after this process to recover the metal in its liquid state, as the extraction process relies on the volatility of mercury to separate it from the ore.12
Condensation is a critical step in the mercury processing of cinnabar because it allows for the collection of the vaporized metal, which would otherwise escape into the environment. Because mercury is highly toxic, modern industrial practices emphasize the importance of efficient condensation and containment to prevent the release of hazardous vapours, thereby protecting workers and the surrounding environment from mercury poisoning.213