Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fall of liquid metal into water

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

THERE is a possibility of explosions under a wide variety of conditions1–6 when liquids are rapidly mixed. When molten tin is poured from a crucible into water in defined conditions, a rapid explosive interaction takes place producing a sponge-like mass of debris7–9. We have repeated these experiments using an apparatus which provides small (∼ 0.25 g) and reproducible single drops of molten tin, and have been able to determine quantitatively the dynamics of the interaction by a photographic technique. Using a metal temperature of ∼ 570 K and water at room temperature metal drops were produced which entered the water in a straight vertical line but were then observed to deviate suddenly and sharply from their course without losing their pear-like shape. This metal temperature was just below that necessary to produce explosive interactions for the given water temperature.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Long, G., Metal Progr., 71, 107–112 (1957).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lipset, S. G., Fire Technol., 2, (2), 118–126 (1966).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Genco, J. M., and Lemmon, A. W., Trans. Am. Foundrymen's Soc., 78, 317–323 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bradley, R. H., and Witte, L. C., Nucl. Sci. Eng., 48, 387–396 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Epstein, L. F., J. Nucl. Energy, Part B Reactor Technol., 3, 273–295 (1962).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Brauer, F. E., et al., Nucl. Sci. Eng., 31, 551–554 (1967).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Buchanan, D. J., and Dullforce, T. A., Nature phys. Sci., 245, 32 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Buchanan, D. J., J. Phys. D., Appl. Phys., 7, 1441 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Board, S. J., Farmer, C. L., and Poole, D. H., Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 17, 331–339 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Plesset, M. S., and Chapman, R. B., J. Fluid Mech., 47, 283–290 (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Stevens, J. W., and Witte, L. C., Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 16, 669–678 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Aston, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK

    M. KONURAY, H. B. MEAD & F. M. PAGE

Authors
  1. M. KONURAY
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. B. MEAD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. F. M. PAGE
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

KONURAY, M., MEAD, H. & PAGE, F. Fall of liquid metal into water. Nature 254, 321–322 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/254321a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/254321a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

Search

Navigation