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Spinning Liquid Metal Droplets on Ice.
Xi Zhao1, Sicong Tan2, Chenglin Zhang1,3
1Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|April 7, 2023
Summary
Researchers discovered spinning liquid metal droplets on ice. This phenomenon, a variant of the Leidenfrost effect, uses the droplet
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Interfacial Phenomena
Background:
- Non-contact droplet motion exhibits unique interfacial phenomena.
- The Leidenfrost effect describes vapor film formation between a liquid and a hot surface.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spinning motion of liquid metal droplets on ice.
- To understand the underlying mechanisms of droplet mobility and spin.
- To explore the universality of this phenomenon.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observation of liquid metal droplets on an ice block.
- Comparative experiments with different materials and conditions.
- Analysis of physical properties and heat transfer.
Main Results:
- Liquid metal droplets exhibit rapid spinning on ice.
- Solidification of the droplet provides heat to melt ice, forming a lubricating water film.
- Escaping gas bubbles from melting ice generate the circumferential driving force.
- The spin effect is universal for various materials if a liquid film and gas release are present.
Conclusions:
- The discovered phenomenon is a variant of the Leidenfrost effect, driven by dual phase transitions.
- Gas bubble release during ice melting is crucial for generating spin.
- The spin effect demonstrates universality across different materials under specific conditions.
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