Thermal decomposition of mercuric sulfide

The rate of thermal decomposition of mercuric sulfide (HgS) has been measured at temperatures from 265 to 345 C. These data have been analyzed using a first-order chemical reaction model for the time dependence of the reaction and the Arrhenius equation for the temperature dependence of the rate constant. Using this information, the activation energy for the reaction was found to be 55 kcal/mol. Significant reaction vessel surface effects obscured the functional form of the time dependence of the initial portion of the reaction. The data and the resulting time-temperature reaction-rate model were used to predict the decomposition rate of HgS as a function of time and temperature in thermal treatment systems. Data from large-scale thermal treatment studies already completed were interpreted in terms of the results of this study. While the data from the large-scale thermal treatment studies were consistent with the data from this report, mass transport effects may have contributed to the residual amount of mercury which remained in the soil after most of the large-scale runs