Mercury(II) sulfide
Agent Name
Mercury(II) sulfide
CAS Number
1344-48-5
Formula
Hg-S
Major Category
Metals
Synonyms
Almaden; C.I. 77766; C.I. Pigment Red 106; Chinese vermilion; Ethiops mineral; Hydrargyrum sulfuratum rubrum; Mercuric Sulfide Red; Mercuric Sulfide, Black; Mercuric sulfide; Mercury monosulfide; Mercury sulphide; Mercury(2+) sulfide; Mercury(II) sulfide; Monomercury sulfide; Orange vermilion; Pigment Red 106; Pure English (Quicksilver) Vermilion; Quecksilber(II)-sulfid, rotes; Red cinnabar; Red mercury sulphide; Rotes Quecksilbersulfid; Scarlet vermilion; Vermilion; Vermilion (HgS); beta-Mercuric sulfide; [ChemIDplus]
Category
Mercury Compounds, Inorganic
Description
Black or red solid; [2 entries in Merck Index] Mercuric sulfide, black is insoluble; Mercuric sulfide, red is soluble in aqua regia (separation of S) and hydriodic acid (H2S formation); [ATSDR ToxProfiles]
Sources/Uses
Red form used to color plastics, sealing wax, marking linen, manufacturing of fancy colored paper, and as antibacterial; Black form used as pigment for rubber, etc. [Merck Index]
Comments
Highly toxic after ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption; [Hawley] See "Mercury, inorganic compounds" and the linked occupational disease.
Biomedical References
Exposure Assessment
Skin Designation (ACGIH)
Yes
TLV (ACGIH)
0.025 mg/m3, as Hg
PEL (OSHA)
0.1 mg/m3, as Hg
MAK
0.02 mg/m3, as Hg, inhalable fraction
IDLH (NIOSH)
10 mg/m3, as Hg
Explanatory Notes
Sublimes at 446 deg C (mercuric sulfide, black); sublimes at 583 deg C (mercuric sulfide, red); [ATSDR ToxProfiles]
Adverse Effects
Neurotoxin
Sensorimotor
Nephrotoxin
Yes
Diseases, Processes, and Activities Linked to This Agent
Processes
Industrial Processes with risk of exposure: