Element 80 · Transition Metal
Mercury
The only metal that is liquid at room temperature — but mercury's extreme toxicity has eliminated nearly all consumer applications.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Hg
ATOMIC NO.
80
ATOMIC WEIGHT
200.59
CATEGORY
Transition Metal
PERIOD
Period 6
GROUP
Group 12
Overview
Mercury is element 80, the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature, with a melting point of -38.83°C. Known to ancient civilisations as "quicksilver," mercury has fascinated humanity for millennia — it appears in ancient Egyptian, Roman, and Chinese alchemical traditions. Mercury is highly toxic, particularly as organomercury compounds (methylmercury) which bioaccumulate in fish.
Historical Uses
Mercury thermometers, barometers, and sphygmomanometers (blood pressure devices) — universal in healthcare from the 18th century to the 21st. Mercury vapour lamps for street lighting. Dental amalgam fillings (silver fillings) since the 1830s. Mercury fulminate primers in firearms ammunition.
Current Uses
Mercury is rapidly being eliminated from most products under the Minamata Convention on Mercury (UK ratified 2018). Limited remaining uses include some compact fluorescent lamps (being phased out), specialty dental amalgam, and a small number of industrial chemical processes.
Not Commercially Viable for Scrap
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Mercury:
Mercury is one of the most strictly regulated hazardous substances in the world. Items containing mercury (old thermometers, fluorescent tubes, dental amalgam waste, electrical switches) must go to licensed hazardous waste processors with mercury-specific handling capabilities. We do not buy mercury-containing items under any circumstances — these require dedicated routes via local authority hazardous waste services or licensed processors.
Price Context
Mercury is highly regulated and not openly traded as scrap.