A bit more information:  this is a sodium/mercury amalgam, _not_ used in a still application (from the grad student: “Oh no – yo u made us get rid of our pot stills, Debbie!”).

Suggestions have been to react it with water and a little dilute HCl or with EtOH.  I’m thinking in a f ume hood, in an ice bath with copious caution and lots of stirring – right?

Excuse the cross-posting:

Anyone have a good idea on how to neutralize sodium amal gam before disposal?  This one’s outside my expertise.

Thanks,

Debbie

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Debbie M. Decker, Campus Chemical Safety Officer
Environmental Health and Safety
University of California, Davis
1 Shields Ave.
Davis, CA  95616
(530)754-7964/(530)752-4527 (FAX)
dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu
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