Two years ago.... I'd like to know how this turned out.
In the old chemistry books there is a glass mercury still which consists of a glass bulb which contains the impure mercury and there is a tube which sits above the liquid and extends to about a metre below and the bulb is heated on a gas ring and the mercury is condensed in the tube and also forms a partial vacuum.. So it is a vacuum still.
Care will be needed as the mercury 'kicks' the glass when it boils and may break the glass.
Is the lead amalgam solid?
The other way is to dissolve it in acid and separate the lead and mercury compounds by solubility (filtering), both chlorides are soluble.
