An alloy of mercury with some other metal(s), known since classical times. Copper, zinc, and tin amalgams are used in dentistry. Gold amalgam was used in Renaissance gilding techniques.
An amalgam is any mixture or blending of mercury with another metal or with an alloy.
Dentistry
For some centuries dentists have been cleaning out decay and creating dental fillings, using filling material such as stone chips, resin, cork, turpentine, gum, lead and gold leaf.
Mercury amalgams were used in dentistry because they were cheap, easy to use, durable, and regarded as safe. They are made by mixing approximately equal measures of mercury and an alloy of silver, copper, tin and other metals. There is an ongoing controversy because of the mercury content of amalgam. In 1816 Auguste Taveau developed a dental amalgam from silver coins and mercury. This early amalgam was low in mercury and had to be heated in order for the silver to dissolve at any appreciable rate.
Chemical analysis
Mercury is the preferred electrode material for the analysis of metals by anodic stripping voltammetry.
Mining
Mercury amalgams have been used in the gold and silver mining process due to the ease with which mercury will amalgamate with them.
After all the usable metal had been extracted from the ore, mercury was poured down a long copper trough which formed a thin coating of mercury on the surface.
The Spanish Empire transported mercury from Almaden across the Atlantic to supply the silver mines of Zacatecas and Potosí.
Other uses
Thallium amalgam is used as liquid for thermometers, because it freezes at -58°C, whereas pure mercury freezes at -38°C.
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