Gallium - metal that melts in the hands

Gallium is a metal that melts in the hand. The substance has a melting point, which is 29.76 ° C. If placed in a warm palm, it gradually begins to change from a solid state to a liquid form.

A short excursion into the history

What is the name of the metal that melts in your hand? As already noted above, such a material is known by the definition of gallium. His theoretical existence was predicted in the distant 1870 by a Russian scientist, author of a table of chemical elements - Dmitry Mendeleyev. The basis for such an assumption was the study of the properties of numerous metals. At that time, no theoretician could have imagined that a metal that melts in its hands exists in reality.

The possibility of synthesizing an extremely fusible material, the appearance of which was predicted by Mendeleev, was proved by the French scientist Emile Lecoq de Boisbadran. In 1875 he succeeded in isolating gallium from zinc ore. During the experiments with the material, the scientist obtained a metal that melted in the hands.

It is known that Emil Boabodran was experiencing considerable difficulties with the allocation of a new element from zinc ore. During the first experiments he managed to extract only 0.1 grams of gallium. However, even this was enough to confirm the surprising property of the material.

Where is gallium found in nature

Gallium refers to elements that do not occur in the form of deposits of ores. The material is very scattered in the earth's crust. In nature, it occurs in extremely rare minerals, such as gallite and zengeite. During laboratory experiments, a small amount of gallium can be isolated from ores of zinc, aluminum, germanium and iron. Sometimes it is found in bauxite, coal deposits, other deposits of minerals.

How to obtain gallium

Currently, scientists often synthesize metal, which melts in the hands, from aluminum solutions that are mined during the processing of alumina. As a result of removal of the bulk of aluminum and the procedure of repeated concentration of metals, an alkaline solution is obtained in which an insignificant fraction of gallium is present. Isolate such material from the solution by electrolysis.

Applications

Gallium to this day has not found application in the industry. This is due to the widespread use of aluminum, which has similar properties in solid form. Despite this, gallium looks promising material, because it has excellent semiconductor qualities. Such a metal can potentially be used to manufacture elements of transistors, high-temperature rectifiers, solar cells. Gallium looks like an excellent solution for making optical mirror coatings that will have the highest reflectivity.

The main obstacle to the use of gallium on an industrial scale remains the high cost of its synthesis from ores and minerals. The price per ton of such metal on the world market is more than 1.2 million dollars.

To date, gallium has found effective application only in the field of medicine. Metal in liquid form is used to slow the loss of bone mass in people that suffer from cancer. It is used to quickly stop bleeding in the presence of extremely deep wounds on the body of the victims. In the latter case, occlusion of vessels with gallium does not lead to the formation of blood clots.

Interesting experiments with gallium

As noted above, gallium is a metal that melts in the hands. Since the temperature that is required for the transition of the material to the liquid state is slightly more than 29 ° C, it is sufficient to hold it in the palms of the hands. After a while, initially the solid material will begin to melt literally in front of the eyes.

A rather fascinating experiment can be carried out with the solidification of gallium. The metal presented has the property of expanding during solidification. To conduct an interesting experiment, it is sufficient to place liquid gallium in a glass vial. Then you need to start cooling the container. After a while you can see how the crystals will form in the bubble. They will have a bluish color, in contrast to the silvery hue, which is typical for the material in the liquid state. If you do not stop cooling, the crystallizing gallium will eventually break the glass vial.

Finally

So we found out which metal melts in the hand. Today, gallium can be found on the market for own experiments. However, you should treat the material with extreme caution. Solid gallium is a non-toxic substance. However, prolonged contact with the material in liquid form can lead to the most unintended consequences for health, up to the stopping of breathing, paralysis of limbs and the entry of a person into a coma.