Scientists successfully developed transfigured liquid metal

Researchers at the University of North Carolina (NCSU) have taken first steps in developing a method of controlling the surface tension of liquid metal by low voltage. This may open up new opportunities in the field of deformed electronic circuits, self-repair electronics or even . a type of robot that can form itself from metal like the T-1000 in the film Ke destroy part 2.

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The liquid metal used by the team is an alloy of Gallium (Ga) and Indium (In) . Gallium melts at a temperature of about 29 degrees Celsius while Indium has a higher melting point, about 156 degrees C. When mixing these two substances, they form a liquefied alloy at room temperature, also known as fusion. fusible needle (eutectic) .

Another important aspect of the eutectic alloy exploited by the researchers in the experiment is that its surface tension is very large, approximately 500mN / m. If one drops of this alloy onto a surface, it will tend to form an almost perfect sphere and remain in shape.

Snapshot from video

The researchers also found that if a small voltage (below 1 volt) is applied through the water onto the alloy droplets, they can significantly reduce surface tension, causing the liquid metal to relax. In contrast when dropping the voltage, the surface tension returns and the alloy droplet again returns to the original sphere shape.

The magnitude of the surface tension can be changed by the magnitude of the applied voltage. In this way, the team was able to control the alloy's ductility and keep it in different liquid states from the initial tension of 500mN / m down to 2mN / m.

In the demonstration video, the researchers controlled the alloy to flow in / out between capillary tubes or molds of different shapes. Imagine if the said alloy is used as an antenna, it can act as a highly customizable antenna with the ability to change the shape to send or receive a wide range of different wavelengths. . In the past, researchers at NCSU have tried a number of variable antenna versions, but this is the first time they use voltage instead of mechanical means to change the shape of the antenna.

Michael Dickey, associate professor of chemical and biological biology at NCSU, said: "We can use this technique to control the movement of liquid metal, which allows us to change the shape of antennas and interconnecting / disconnecting electrical circuits This technique can also be used in microfluidic channels, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or optical devices. to surface oxide, so our research will expand beyond existing liquid metals ".

NCSU University's technique is a variation of the electro-hydrodynamic effect . It works based on the oxide formation on the surface of the alloy and the applied voltage acts as a surfactant that will reduce the surface tension between the metal and the surrounding liquid.

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