Liquid metal

About: Liquid metal is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 6947 publications have been published within this topic receiving 77785 citations. The topic is also known as: liquid alloy & liquid metal alloy.

X-ray reflectivity studies of liquid metal and alloy surfaces

Abstract: Surface-induced atomic layering at the liquid/vapor interface in liquid metals has been observed using x-ray reflectivity on sputtered clean surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. A well-defined quasi-Bragg peak is obtained for surfaces of elemental Ga and a Ga-In alloy at large wave vectors qz;2.3‐2.5 A 21 . These results are an unambiguous indication of atomic layering with an interlayer spacing d;2p/qz52.5‐2.7 A. For liquid Ga, the amplitude of the electron-density oscillations, which is significantly underestimated by existing theory and molecular simulation, decays with a characteristic length of 6 A, which is twice that of Hg. Results on the alloy show a clear enrichment of indium at the topmost surface layer, consistent with the Gibbs adsorption rule. The enrichment consists of a single monolayer, with subsequent layers at the bulk eutectic composition. In order to suppress mechanically excited surface waves, the measurements were performed on thin liquid metal films (,0.5 mm deep!, which leads to a macroscopically curved surface due to the large surface tensions in liquid metals. The experimental challenges posed by measurements on curved surfaces and the techniques that were developed are discussed in detail. @S0163-1829~97!01324-6#

Cooling of electronics by electrically conducting fluids

Abstract: Apparatus to provide effective removal of heat from a high power density device. The apparatus has a heat spreader and a heat sink structure. The heat spreader is divided into one or more chambers. Electromagnetic pumps are placed inside each chamber in a configuration that facilitates easy circulation of liquid metal inside the chamber. The liquid metal preferably is an alloy of gallium and indium that has high electrical conductivity and high thermal conductivity. The liquid metal carries heat from a localized area (over the high power density device) and distributes it over the entire spreader. This results in a uniform distribution of heat on the base of the heat sink structure and hence effective removal of heat by the heat sink structure.

Galvanic Replacement of the Liquid Metal Galinstan

Abstract: The galvanic replacement reaction is a highly versatile approach for the creation of a variety of nanostructured materials. However, the majority of reports are limited to the replacement of metallic nanoparticles or metal surfaces. Here we extend this elegant approach and describe the galvanic replacement of the liquid metal alloy galinstan with Ag and Au. This is achieved at a macrosized droplet to create a liquid metal marble that comprises a liquid metal core and a solid metal shell, whereby the morphology of the outer shell is determined by the concentration of metallic ions used in the solution during the galvanic replacement process. In principle, this allows one to recover precious metal ions from solution in their metallic form, which are immobilized on the liquid metal and therefore easy to recover. The reaction is also undertaken at liquid metal microdroplets created via sonication to produce Ag- and Au-based galinstan nanorice particles. These materials are characterized with SEM, XRD, TEM, SA...

Method of generating energy by acoustically induced cavitation fusion and reactor therefor

Abstract: Two different cavitation fusion reactors (CFR's) are disclosed. Each comprises a chamber containing a liquid (host) metal such as lithium or an alloy thereof. Acoustical horns in the chamber walls operate to vary the ambient pressure in the liquid metal, creating therein small bubbles which are caused to grow to maximum sizes and then collapse violently in two steps. In the first stage the bubble contents remain at the temperature of the host liquid, but in the second stage the increasing speed of collapse causes an adiabatic compression of the bubble contents, and of the thin shell of liquid surrounding the bubble. Application of a positive pressure on the bubble accelerates this adiabatic stage, and causes the bubble to contract to smaller radius, thus increasing maximum temperatures and pressures reached within the bubble. At or near its minimum radius the bubble generates a very intense shock wave, creating high pressures and temperatures in the host liquid. These extremely high pressures and temperatures occur both within the bubbles and in the host liquid, and cause hydrogen isotopes in the bubbles and liquid to undergo thermonuclear reactions. In one type of CFR the thermonuclear reaction is generated by cavitation within the liquid metal itself, and in the other type the reaction takes place primarily within the bubbles. The fusion reactions generate energy that is absorbed as heat by the liquid metal, and this heat is removed from the liquid by conduction through the acoustical horns to an external heat exchanger, without any pumping of the liquid metal.