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Just refined the pyrolysis process this morning, now getting mercury II oxide. (was mercury I).
Difference is in the particle size, but ideally HgO II is what you need for batteries.
Also found a source of pure potassium hydroxide in dry flake form...ideal.
....And two sources of zinc. One is zinc oxide in powder form, the other zinc metal. The latter believe it or not is in abundance as car wheel balancing weights. Seems they went to zinc from lead. This is needed for anode material and can be melted to cast small anode ingots.
I think I'll order the potassium hydroxide since I am now at that stage.
Next thing it to devise a test cell, I have a novel idea of using lab glass tube with anode and cathode at the ends. In this way I can see what is going on inside.
When that is proven and tested, I'll move on to making a button cell case and devise a filling method. The difficult part here is the roll-over swage forming the seal. Though I envisage turning a couple of press tools that should do the job.
The seals will have to be pre cast with vulcanising silicone, should be no trouble to machine a mould for that.
Ultimately I'll run into difficulty (though not insurmountable) with running out of mercury metal and having to build a small bench refinery to work the ore. Basically a small rotary furnace with continuous extraction running into a condenser.
Getting there, slowly but surely.
Last edited on Mon Jun 4th, 2012 05:01 by steve of oxford