Mercuric oxide

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  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    21908-53-2

    Molecular formula
    HgO

    SMILES
    O=[Hg]

    Safety labels

    Acute Toxic
    Acute Toxic

    Health Hazard
    Health

    Environmental Hazard
    Environmental

  • Odor profile

    Fragrance
    Odorless 93.7%
    Pungent 22.81%
    Sharp 20.81%
    Burnt 16.16%
    Sour 15.87%
    Bitter 15.54%
    Ethereal 10.47%
    Caramellic 10.06%
    Fermented 9.77%
    Malty 9.41%

     

  • Properties

    pKa est.
    17.01 (strong base)

    Molecular weight
    216.59 g/mol

    Melting point expt.

    • Decomposes at 932 °F (EPA, 1998)
    • 500 °C (decomp)

    Flash point

    • 94.56 ˚C est.

    Solubility expt.

    • 0.0053 G/100 CC WATER @ 25 °C
    • 0.0395 G/100 CC WATER @ 100 °C
    • INSOL IN ALCOHOL, ETHER, ACETONE, ALKALI, AMMONIA
    • Red mercuric oxide: sol in dilute hydrochloric or nitric acid; sol in soln of alkali cyanides or iodides; slowly sol in soln of alkali bromides
    • For more Solubility (Complete) data for MERCURIC OXIDE (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.
    • Solubility in water, mg/l at 20 °C: 50 (very poor)

  • Synonyms

    • MERCURIC OXIDE
    • 21908-53-2
    • Mercury(II) oxide
    • Mercury oxide
    • Mercuric oxide, red
    • oxomercury
    • mercury(II)oxide
    • Mercuric oxide red
    • Red mercuric oxide
    • Santar
    • Red Precipitate
    • Mercuric oxide, yellow
    • Oxyde mercurique
    • Santar M
    • Yellow precipitate
    • Natural montroydite
    • Mercury(2+) oxide
    • Red oxide of mercury
    • Gelbes quecksilberoxyd
    • Hydrargyrum oxid flav
    • Yellow mercuric oxide
    • Mercuric oxide (red)
    • Oxide mercurique jaune
    • Mercuric oxide (HgO)
    • Caswell No. 544A
    • Yellow oxide of mercury
    • Oxido amarillo de mercurio
    • Oxyde de mercure
    • Hydrargyrum oxydatum rubrum
    • EINECS 244-654-7
    • UNII-IY191986AO
    • mercury (II) oxide
    • HSDB 1265
    • Mercuric(II) oxide red
    • 12653-71-3
    • EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 052102
    • CI 77760
    • AI3-02738
    • Oxyde mercurique [ISO-French]
    • C.I. 77760
    • DTXSID4042125
    • IY191986AO
    • MFCD00011045
    • Oxyde mercurique (ISO-French)
    • Mercuric oxide yellow
    • Mercury(II) oxide red
    • Mercury monoxide
    • Oxyde de mercure [French]
    • Quecksilberoxyd
    • oxido de mercurio
    • ossido di mercurio
    • mercury (II)oxide
    • UN1641
    • mercury-(II)-oxide
    • mercury (II) oxide red
    • Mercury(II) oxide, red
    • Mercury (II) oxide yellow
    • Mercury(II) oxide, yellow
    • Mercury(II) oxide, 98%
    • Mercuric oxide, yellow [NF]
    • DTXCID2022125
    • AI3-02738 (USDA)
    • Mercury(II) oxide red, ACS reagent
    • AKOS015903278
    • Mercury oxide [UN1641] [Poison]
    • FM44545
    • BP-30081
    • Mercuric(II) oxide yellow, A.C.S. reagent
    • Mercury(II) oxide red, ACS reagent, >=99.0%
    • Mercury(II) oxide, 99.999% trace metals basis
    • Mercury(II) oxide, p.a., ACS reagent, 99.0%
    • Q174727
    • Mercury(II) oxide yellow, ACS reagent, >=99.0%
    • Mercury(II) oxide yellow, p.a., ACS reagent, 99.0%
    • 244-654-7

  • Applications

    Mercuric oxide (HgO) finds use as the positive electrode material in mercuric oxide–zinc primary batteries and as the active material in mercury-oxide rectifier devices used in early electronics; it also serves as a pigment known as mercury red for coatings and inks; it can act as an oxidizing agent or a source of Hg(II) in certain organic syntheses and oxidation reactions; historically it has been used as a topical antiseptic in some pharmaceuticals and wound-care preparations; and it serves as a precursor for preparing other mercury(II) salts and organomercury reagents in chemical manufacturing.

    gpt-5-nano

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 1280.96
    methanol 1743.4
    isopropanol 1058.23
    water 556.26
    ethyl acetate 334.99
    n-propanol 833.57
    acetone 1137.89
    n-butanol 733.15
    acetonitrile 614.02
    DMF 3127.38
    toluene 120.67
    isobutanol 560.06
    1,4-dioxane 1003.32
    methyl acetate 457.39
    THF 1317.7
    2-butanone 531.95
    n-pentanol 569.6
    sec-butanol 670.43
    n-hexane 67.76
    ethylene glycol 1270.2
    NMP 1404.7
    cyclohexane 81.78
    DMSO 2437.44
    n-butyl acetate 246.55
    n-octanol 337.58
    chloroform 393.72
    n-propyl acetate 318.66
    acetic acid 1130.37
    dichloromethane 442.49
    cyclohexanone 490.77
    propylene glycol 794.6
    isopropyl acetate 252.99
    DMAc 1603.81
    2-ethoxyethanol 1144.6
    isopentanol 546.74
    n-heptane 86.73
    ethyl formate 369.24
    1,2-dichloroethane 380.65
    n-hexanol 434.06
    2-methoxyethanol 1999.33
    isobutyl acetate 201.23
    tetrachloromethane 130.08
    n-pentyl acetate 256.67
    transcutol 1546.54
    n-heptanol 314.81
    ethylbenzene 93.6
    MIBK 326.67
    2-propoxyethanol 882.71
    tert-butanol 1033.87
    MTBE 465.74
    2-butoxyethanol 614.16
    propionic acid 554.85
    o-xylene 145.25
    formic acid 1141.52
    diethyl ether 539.99
    m-xylene 132.2
    p-xylene 107.66
    chlorobenzene 137.49
    dimethyl carbonate 325.8
    n-octane 43.65
    formamide 1432.42
    cyclopentanone 753.07
    2-pentanone 502.44
    anisole 310.8
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 558.49
    gamma-butyrolactone 704.64
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 1240.19
    pyridine 490.13
    3-pentanone 360.49
    furfural 741.99
    n-dodecane 42.97
    diethylene glycol 1196.47
    diisopropyl ether 202.72
    tert-amyl alcohol 670.31
    acetylacetone 489.28
    n-hexadecane 44.42
    acetophenone 306.55
    methyl propionate 394.05
    isopentyl acetate 207.96
    trichloroethylene 466.66
    n-nonanol 292.02
    cyclohexanol 506.48
    benzyl alcohol 352.51
    2-ethylhexanol 247.94
    isooctanol 250.18
    dipropyl ether 313.62
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 153.65
    ethyl lactate 274.67
    propylene carbonate 345.1
    n-methylformamide 1256.67
    2-pentanol 554.62
    n-pentane 113.1
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 616.0
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 311.32
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 494.38
    mesitylene 113.16
    ε-caprolactone 420.08
    p-cymene 105.68
    epichlorohydrin 730.3
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 248.87
    2-aminoethanol 1232.61
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 1453.67
    sulfolane 969.01
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 56.79
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 724.97
    n-hexyl acetate 307.37
    isooctane 51.41
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 733.07
    sec-butyl acetate 203.35
    tert-butyl acetate 297.05
    decalin 44.66
    glycerin 1277.2
    diglyme 1084.4
    acrylic acid 579.58
    isopropyl myristate 170.16
    n-butyric acid 532.94
    acetyl acetate 221.53
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 169.61
    ethyl propionate 249.14
    nitromethane 1208.25
    1,2-diethoxyethane 472.11
    benzonitrile 261.17
    trioctyl phosphate 159.47
    1-bromopropane 239.82
    gamma-valerolactone 904.71
    n-decanol 241.9
    triethyl phosphate 151.83
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 323.01
    propionitrile 390.28
    vinylene carbonate 315.36
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 773.84
    DMS 236.33
    cumene 94.78
    2-octanol 244.15
    2-hexanone 353.65
    octyl acetate 218.27
    limonene 159.49
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 1236.67
    ethyl orthosilicate 159.75
    tributyl phosphate 165.88
    diacetone alcohol 539.02
    N,N-dimethylaniline 322.49
    acrylonitrile 473.04
    aniline 317.59
    1,3-propanediol 1226.98
    bromobenzene 101.07
    dibromomethane 301.11
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 428.44
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 196.02
    tetrabutyl urea 276.56
    diisobutyl methanol 190.55
    2-phenylethanol 303.03
    styrene 118.95
    dioctyl adipate 231.07
    dimethyl sulfate 531.76
    ethyl butyrate 223.99
    methyl lactate 452.67
    butyl lactate 266.39
    diethyl carbonate 150.85
    propanediol butyl ether 628.93
    triethyl orthoformate 195.48
    p-tert-butyltoluene 112.86
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 334.37
    morpholine 1227.84
    tert-butylamine 661.97
    n-dodecanol 205.85
    dimethoxymethane 1295.88
    ethylene carbonate 273.05
    cyrene 481.53
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 324.87
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 170.49
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 196.47
    4-methylpyridine 393.12
    dibutyl ether 245.84
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 190.55
    DEF 757.35
    dimethyl isosorbide 595.87
    tetrachloroethylene 360.35
    eugenol 417.32
    triacetin 300.31
    span 80 461.56
    1,4-butanediol 668.77
    1,1-dichloroethane 312.51
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 420.42
    methyl formate 844.17
    2-methyl-1-butanol 493.21
    n-decane 58.47
    butyronitrile 380.61
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 269.29
    1-chlorooctane 150.76
    1-chlorotetradecane 83.33
    n-nonane 56.27
    undecane 48.54
    tert-butylcyclohexane 47.7
    cyclooctane 44.06
    cyclopentanol 675.09
    tetrahydropyran 612.69
    tert-amyl methyl ether 421.98
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 867.47
    1-hexene 162.45
    2-isopropoxyethanol 772.07
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 622.87
    methyl butyrate 324.52

    Scent© AI

1 4

IFRA standard 51

Recommendation
No restriction
Maximum acceptable concentrations in the finished product (%)
Category 1
Products applied to the lips
 No restriction Category 7A
Rinse-off products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 2
Products applied to the axillae
 No restriction Category 7B
Leave-on products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 3
Products applied to the face/body using fingertips
 No restriction Category 8
Products with significant anogenital exposure
 No restriction
Category 4
Products related to fine fragrance
 No restriction Category 9
Products with body and hand exposure, primarily rinse off
 No restriction
Category 5A
Body lotion products applied to the body using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10A
Household care products with mostly hand contact
 No restriction
Category 5B
Face moisturizer products applied to the face using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10B
Household care products with mostly hand contact, including aerosol/spray products (with potential leave-on skin contact)
 No restriction
Category 5C
Hand cream products applied to the hands using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 11A
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate without UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 5D
Baby Creams, baby Oils and baby talc
 No restriction Category 11B
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate with potential UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 6
Products with oral and lip exposure
 No restriction Category 12
Products not intended for direct skin contact, minimal or insignificant transfer to skin
 No restriction