Question

What is cinnabar
?how is it extracted

Answer 1

Cinnabar and cinnabarite, likely deriving from the Greek, refer to the common bright scarlet to brick-red form of mercury(II) sulfide, formula HgS, that is the most common source ore for refining elemental mercury, and is the historic source for the brilliant red or scarlet pigment termed vermilion and associated red mercury pigments.


Cinnabar being sulphide is is concentrate by froth floatation method. The pulverized are is kept in water containing pine oil & the mixture is agitated by passing compressed air. Ore forms froth with oil and come to the surface and are skimmed off while impurities are left in water.

. Roasting and Distillation

The concentrated are is mixed with 2% coke and fed into shaft furnace through a cup and wne. Arrangement the furnace is heated by pruning fuel and air is below in cinnabar is first oxidized to mercuric oxide which then decompose into mercury the vapor of mercury are condensed in Y-shaped. Earthen condensers cooled by water.

           

2HgS + O2                  →            2HgO + 2SO2

          2HgO                    →                  2Hg + O2

 

Answer 2

Cinnabar(Mercuric sulphide) is an ore of mercury. When it is heated in the air it is converted into Mercuric oxide( HgO).
Reaction - 2HgS + 3O2 -------(heat)---> 2HgO+2SO2
On further heating,
2HgO---(heat)-------> 2Hg + O2.