What process separates the components of amalgam

Question

what process separates the components of amalgam? why can't electrophoresis be done in the classroom? what should you do when mercury thermometer breaks and mercury spills? why would taking egg albumin be a good antidote for poisoning due to some metals?

Answer 1

In the case of a mercury amalgam heat will evaporate the mercury and leave the metal behind.   BUT mercury vapor is dangerous so don't try it.  Spilled mercury evaporates too so spreading powdered sulfur on it is used to combine with the mercury to make the sulfide which does not evaporate.  Still the mercury sulfide is toxic but it's easier to clean up and dispose of.  The egg combines with SOME metals to prevent adsorbtion by the body.

Answer 2

Egg albumen is a good antidote for some metals because it contains many sulfur-containing amino acids and other organic sulfur compounds (these are released as foul-smelling H2S when the egg rots).  Mercury, lead, and a few other heavy metals, will bind to the thiol (sulfhydryl) groups on these molecules, and will be "locked up" before the body can absorb them.  These groups are still sometimes referred to as mercaptans for their ability to "capture mercury."

As for your question on electrophoresis, it can be done in the classroom, and gel electrophoresis is a fairly common experiment in modern biology classrooms.  It is rather off topic for a question on Hg, so are you thinking of something else?