Mercury, also known as mercury, is a liquid metal at room temperature and has many unique physical properties.
The color of mercury is silvery white, like moonlight, shining, and the texture is pure, smooth and delicate. Its fluidity is excellent, like smart water, rolling freely on utensils, difficult to capture, scattered at a touch, and it gathers quickly.
The density of mercury is quite high, far more than ordinary things. Placing it in your hand makes you feel heavy. Compared with other things, the weight of mercury in the same volume is much higher.
The melting point of mercury is extremely low, only -38.87 ° C, so it will always be liquid at room temperature. This property makes it unique among many metals. It does not require high temperature melting and casting, and naturally flows.
Mercury has a boiling point of 356.6 ° C. When heated, it will slowly turn into a gaseous state. And mercury vapor is colorless, odorless, toxic, and can cause poisoning and damage to the human nervous system, kidneys and other organs.
In addition, mercury has good electrical conductivity. Although it is not a commonly used conductive material like copper and silver, it can also exert its electrical conductivity in certain electronic devices to ensure stable current transmission. < Br >
The surface tension of mercury is quite high, allowing it to gather into round and moist mercury beads on a plane, just like silver beads scattered. This phenomenon is also one of its unique physical properties and has special significance in many experimental and industrial applications.

Mercury, which is cold and toxic in nature, is one of the heavy non-ferrous metals. Its shape is liquid at room temperature, with silver light flowing, like smart silver water.
The chemical properties of mercury are lively and unique. It can combine with many metal phases to form amalgam, which is one of the major characteristics of mercury. If it encounters alkali metals such as sodium and potassium, it can quickly combine, just like water and milk, forming new alloying substances.
It can react with oxygen. When heated, mercury interacts with oxygen to form mercury oxide. This change is like a quiet metamorphosis. The originally flowing mercury is transformed into solid mercury oxide. And under specific conditions, mercury can react with acids, showing its unique chemical activity.
However, the toxicity of mercury cannot be underestimated. Its vapors and compounds are highly toxic. If you inadvertently inhale mercury vapor, or contact it through skin, or accidentally ingest mercury-containing substances, it can cause serious damage to the human body. In the body, mercury can damage the nervous system, kidneys and other important organs, causing tremors, mental abnormalities, kidney failure and other symptoms.
Throughout the ages, mercury has been used in many fields. In the art of alchemy, the ancients regarded it as a miraculous thing and wanted to use it to refine longevity pills, but they did not know its toxicity. In modern times, although mercury is still used in some special instruments, such as thermometers and blood pressure monitors, its use is gradually restricted due to its toxicity, and efforts are made to replace it with safer substances. The world should be aware of the chemical properties and toxicity of mercury, and should not ignore its potential harm due to its characteristics.

Borax has a wide range of industrial uses. According to the records in "Tiangong Kaiwu", ancient craftsmen used it in various industries.
In the metallurgical industry, borax has a significant effect. When casting, throwing borax into the furnace can reduce the melting point of the metal and make its melting flow smoother. Because borax can combine with impurities on the surface of the metal, it can form a slag and float on it, so that the metal can be purified, and the casting is also more firm and refined. Such as the steel of the sword, with the help of borax, the impurities are removed, the edge is sharp, and the rigidity and softness are combined.
Ceramic firing, borax is also indispensable. It can be used as a flux to reduce the melting point of clay and glaze, save energy when burning, and the glaze surface is smooth and bright, and the color is gorgeous. In the past, the porcelain of the official kiln had a delicate texture, a warm glaze color, and borax was indispensable. Adding borax to the glaze can increase its resistance to chemical erosion, which lasts for a long time, and the brilliance remains.
In glass manufacturing, borax also shows its talents. Adding borax, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass becomes smaller, and the performance of heat resistance is greatly increased. In this way, the glass utensils made are not easy to break when hot and cold are alternated, and are practical and durable. And borax can make the glass more transparent and pure, like ice and jade, which is pleasing to the eye. In ancient times, the glazed products are dazzling, and borax really has the effect of adding color.
Furthermore, in the printing and dyeing industry, borax can be used as a mordant. When the fabric is dyed, borax helps the dye to closely combine with the fiber, the color fastness is improved, and the dyed cloth is bright and does not fade for a long time. In the past, the folk dyeing workshops all relied on the ability of borax to dye colorful cloth and silk for people's livelihood.
In summary, the various uses of borax in industry are related to the quality, color and sex of utensils. Ancient craftsmen made good use of it, and hundreds of exquisite jobs were done.

Mercury is a highly toxic substance, and the ancients also studied many tools for refining mercury.
If you want to make mercury utensils, the first material. Ancient skilled craftsmen often choose copper and iron as utensils. Copper is tough in texture and has certain corrosion resistance. In the process of refining mercury, it can ensure that the utensils are stable and not easily damaged by the characteristics of mercury. Iron is also a good choice. It is sturdy and durable, and can withstand the high temperature required during refining.
Secondly, the shape of the utensils is also crucial. The common one is the shape of a cauldron. The kettle has a round bottom and a wide mouth, which is conducive to uniform heating and makes the refining process of mercury smoother. The tripod has three legs, which stand firmly on the ground, and its internal space design is exquisite, which can accommodate an appropriate amount of raw materials for refining. When making the cauldron, craftsmen need to carefully build it to ensure its sealing. Because mercury is volatile, there is a slight gap, and mercury gas escapes, which not only damages the refining effect, but also endangers personal safety. Therefore, the mud sealing method is used to strictly block the gap, so that the interior of the cauldron forms a relatively airtight space.
In addition, auxiliary devices are also indispensable. Such as condensation tools, usually bamboo tubes or special pottery tubes are used. When mercury is heated and evaporated into gas, it can be re-condensed into liquid mercury through this condenser, which can be collected in a specific container. And in the refining site, it is necessary to set up a ventilated passage. This passage is made of masonry and twists and turns, which can slowly discharge mercury gas and reduce the harm to the refiner.
However, it is necessary to keep in mind that mercury is very toxic. Although the ancients had this method of making mercury utensils, the refining process is still extremely risky. Today, with the prosperity of science and technology, the treatment and utilization of mercury has become more scientific and safe. It is necessary not to imitate the ancient methods rashly, so as not to endanger lives.

Mercury is highly toxic and poses a great threat to both the environment and the human body.
In the environment, once mercury is released into soil and water bodies, it will persist for a long time. In water bodies, it is easily converted into methylmercury by microbial action. This substance is highly fat-soluble and easy to accumulate in organisms, accumulating layer by layer through the food chain. For example, small fish swallow mercury-containing microorganisms, and large fish eat small fish. Ultimately, mercury is highly enriched in top predators, causing imbalance in aquatic ecosystems, and the number of aquatic organisms has dropped sharply, causing biodiversity to be damaged. And mercury will evaporate into the atmosphere, and with the diffusion of air currents, the scope of global mercury pollution will expand.
Mercury is extremely harmful to the human body. Mercury poisoning can be caused by inhalation of mercury vapor through the respiratory tract, oral ingestion of mercury-containing food or water, or skin exposure to mercury. In mild poisoning, people may experience neurological symptoms such as headache, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia, and dreaminess, as well as stomatitis, such as swollen and painful gums, bleeding, and loose teeth. In severe poisoning, the nervous system is severely damaged, causing tremors in the limbs, which are subtle at first and gradually affect the movement of the limbs. It can also cause cognitive impairment, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, thinking slowness, and even mental symptoms such as hallucinations and dementia. In addition, mercury can also damage the kidneys, causing kidney function to decline, and symptoms such as proteinuria and hematuria. Long-term exposure to mercury, kidney function or serious failure.
Although the ancients did not know the microscopic mechanism of mercury harm as well as they do today, they also observed its toxicity. For example, in alchemy, mercury is often used as a raw material, and many alchemists cause physical discomfort or even death due to long-term exposure to mercury. This is also the ancient people's preliminary understanding of the harm of mercury. Therefore, mercury is very harmful to the environment and human body, and it must be treated with caution to prevent mercury pollution.