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I started collecting chemical element samples about 12 years ago. I bought an ounce of gallium metal, but didn't experiment with it much, because it was expensive. Gallium is one of only 2 elements that melt at the temperature of a moderately hot summer day(87° F). It melts in your hand! Then, a few years ago, a few new online dealers began selling gallium, which brought the cost down.
So I watched this video a while ago, and was pretty amazed at how liquid gallium can 'absorb' into solid aluminum, and completely weaken its structure to the point that it falls apart like wet cardboard! Its why it's illegal to carry gallium onto a commercial airliner, due to planes being predominantly constructed of aluminum. *Here's a GREAT video that illustrates this phenomenon: https://youtu.be/JHHI2Lk79cY
So, about 8-10 months ago, I decided to take a solid slice of pure aluminum that's about 12mm thick x 100mm wide x 60mm. I drilled 3 small shallow holes into the center of the chunk, and poured a VERY small amount(maybe 1-2g) of liquid gallium into the holes. I put it on a paper plate, and stored it on my top closet shelf and forgot about it, until yesterday. It literally disintegrated roughly 1/2 of the aluminum into grey powder!
It causes this weakening of aluminum, by allowing with it spontaneously, and preventing aluminum from developing its passive layer of aluminum oxide, which normally protects aluminum from oxidation and degradation. Without the protective aluminum oxide layer, aluminum basically 'rusts' and disentigrates. If you drop gallium infused aluminum into water, it'll react vigorously with water, liberating hydrogen and oxygen has bubbles, as the aluminum completely disappears(but the tiny bit of gallium will re-appear at the bottom of the glass).
So I watched this video a while ago, and was pretty amazed at how liquid gallium can 'absorb' into solid aluminum, and completely weaken its structure to the point that it falls apart like wet cardboard! Its why it's illegal to carry gallium onto a commercial airliner, due to planes being predominantly constructed of aluminum. *Here's a GREAT video that illustrates this phenomenon: https://youtu.be/JHHI2Lk79cY
So, about 8-10 months ago, I decided to take a solid slice of pure aluminum that's about 12mm thick x 100mm wide x 60mm. I drilled 3 small shallow holes into the center of the chunk, and poured a VERY small amount(maybe 1-2g) of liquid gallium into the holes. I put it on a paper plate, and stored it on my top closet shelf and forgot about it, until yesterday. It literally disintegrated roughly 1/2 of the aluminum into grey powder!
It causes this weakening of aluminum, by allowing with it spontaneously, and preventing aluminum from developing its passive layer of aluminum oxide, which normally protects aluminum from oxidation and degradation. Without the protective aluminum oxide layer, aluminum basically 'rusts' and disentigrates. If you drop gallium infused aluminum into water, it'll react vigorously with water, liberating hydrogen and oxygen has bubbles, as the aluminum completely disappears(but the tiny bit of gallium will re-appear at the bottom of the glass).
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