Mercury silvering methods. The technique was also used in Asia, for example "tokin" plating in Edo-period Japan. Mercury silvering Mercury silvering or fire gilding is a silvering technique for applying a thin layer of precious metal such as silver or gold (mercury gilding) to a base metal object. The process was invented during the Middle Ages and is documented in Vannoccio Biringuccio's 1540 book "De la pirotechnia". An amalgam of mercury and the precious metal is prepared and applied to the object which is then heated, sometimes in oil, vaporizing most of the mercury. The technique is dangerous since mercury is highly
Mercury(II) nitrate made by reacting hot concentrated nitric acid with mercury metal, under these conditions, the nitric acid is an oxidizing agent. Dilute nitric acid would produce mercury(I) nitrate. Mercuric nitrate is used in mercuration reactions. In particular, it is used in reactions involving ketones. One of the chemicals which it is most effective with is acetone. This reaction uses mercuric nitrate, mercuric oxide, and calcium sulfate to change acetone, which is CHC(O)CH, into CHC(O)CHHg. Acetone is a compound for which most other methods of mercuration prove ineffective. The mercuric nitrate compound works because it is a strong oxidizing agent. In addition,