COMPOSITE ARTICLES FOR SEPARATING MERCURY FROM FLUIDS

Composite articles are useful for separating mercury from fluids. The composite articles can be porous supports comprising an inert substrate having immobilized thereon finely divided gold optionally in combination with a tin salt coating. The porous support can be a particulate or porous fibrous web. Alternatively, the composite articles can comprise a porous fibrous membrane having enmeshed therein the aforementioned porous supports which can be in particulate or fibrous forms. The method for separating elemental, ionic, or organic mercury in fluids comprises the steps of contacting and passing a fluid containing mercury through a support comprising a porous, high surface area, inert substrate on which is immobilized finely divided element al gold at a controlled rate for a time sufficient for the mercury to sorb to the elemental gold and to provide an immobilized gold-mercury amalgam on the support. If a tin salt also is immobilized on the inert substrate, mercury-tin salt can also be formed. In a further, and optional, step, elemental mercury can be removed from the support and optionally can be quantified.