And so that is why some of us fossils of the board fab industry have "excessive drooling, mood swings, various debilities"?
Mercury was a common stabilizer in electroless copper board plating in the 1970's, and the sodium hydroxide used in electroless copper could have been from "mercury cell" production? (flowing mercury was one electrode of the cells.  Yes, I spent the summer of 1967 taking data on a mercury cell chlorine prototype - gee, wonder if my technical career would not have degenerated into printed circuits by 1972 if I had a different job in 1967?

Denny Fritz





-----Original Message-----
From: Bev Christian <[log in to unmask]>
To: TechNet <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Fri, Aug 6, 2010 5:15 pm
Subject: Re: [TN] NTC Friday Element Quiz - The Answer


From a site called Corrosion Doctors, of all things:
ttp://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Elements-Toxic/Mercury-mad-hatter.htm

he felt hat industry has been traced to the mid 17th century in France, and it 
as probably introduced into England some time around 1830. A story passed down 
n the hat industry gives this account of how mercury came to be used in the 
rocess: In Turkey camel hair was used for felt material, and it was discovered 
hat the felting process was speeded up if the fibers were moistened with camel 
rine. It is said that in France workmen used their own urine, but one 
articular workman seemed consistently to produce a superior felt. This person 
as being treated with a mercury compound for syphilis, and an association was 
ade between mercury treatment of the fibers and an improved felt. Eventually 
he use of solutions of mercuric nitrate was widespread in the felt industry, 
nd mercury poisoning became endemic. (reference) Dementia and erethism were 
ndeed a common ailment among 19th Century hatmakers. 
he crazy Mad Hatter of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland is becoming widely 
ssociated with the effects of Mercury on behavior as well as physiology. 
ercury was used to process the felt hats used in England around Lewis' time. 
rratic, flamboyant behavior was one of the most evident alterations caused by 
ercury. (Others included excessive drooling, mood swings, various debilities.) 
reference) 
Bev
IM
----Original Message-----
rom: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David D. Hillman
ent: Friday, August 06, 2010 5:06 PM
o: [log in to unmask]
ubject: [TN] NTC Friday Element Quiz - The Answer
Hi folks - here is the Friday Element Quiz Answer.
The Question:
This element was first refined from ore over 2500 years ago. Its 
onization energy is the highest of all of the metals and thermal 
onductivity is approximately 50X lower than copper. This element is 
xtremely toxic yet has wide, long term industrial applications. World 
roduction of this element in 1971 was 10,400 tons but was only 1490 tons 
n 2001. What element am I?
Bonus points: Name the author who's fictional character was well 
cquainted with this element

he Answer:
The element is Mercury - Hg. The number of people who have actually 
played" with Mercury and shined up coins is amazing considering how toxic 
he element is and how long it took before the dangers were realized. My 
old" physics professors used to have vats of Hg which they used in class! 
he use of mercury in dental amalgams is still a very controversial topic 
or some folks. 
The winner of this week's quiz is Bev Christian of RIM with Mike Fenner of 
ndium running second. The answer to the bonus points was Lewis Carroll - 
he Mad Hatter character from his Alice's Adventures in Wonderland story 
as true life roots in the use of mercury in a hatter's shop.

ave a great weekend.
Dave Hillman
ockwell Collins
[log in to unmask]
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