STOICHIOMETRIC STUDY OF MERCUROUS CHLORID E BY X-RAY-FLUORESCENCE

Mercurous chloride often contains small amounts of mercuric chloride. In order to measure this amount we make use of mercuric chloride's gre at solubility in ether, mercurous chloride being insoluble. After evap oration of ether then solution in water, mercuric ions are fixed on ca tion exchange paper previously treated by sodium hydroxide then silver nitrate to displace exchange equilibrium. A measurement by X ray fluo rescence performed on L(alpha i) mercury line allows us to determine m ercuric chloride amount. This method is suitable to reach accurately m assic fraction of 10(-5). For mercurous chloride that we have syntheti zed from mercury and mercuric chloride, the mercuric chloride in exces s is about 3 to 4. 10(-5).