31.13 What is Red Mercury?
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This article is from the Chemistry FAQ, by Bruce Hamilton B.Hamilton@irl.cri.nz with numerous contributions by others.
31.13 What is Red Mercury?
Red mercury is supposed to be a very powerful explosive that is being made
in Russian nuclear reactors. According to one report, it is a cherry red and
semi-liquid compound of pure mercury and mercury antimony oxide that is
irradiated for up to 20 days in a nuclear reactor [24]. It is claimed that
when incorporated in a fusion bomb, it can yield sufficient chemical energy
to fuse tritium atoms. Experts are sceptical that such an energetic compound
could be sufficiently stable to be used as an explosive, and no compelling
evidence for the existence of red mercury has yet been produced.
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