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Can liquid metal flow in microchannels made of its own oxide skin?

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Abstract

Rapid surface oxidation of gallium-based liquid metals complicates their manipulation but can also be used to stabilize them into 3D shapes. We show that GaInSn can readily flow within such structures. The oxide skin microchannel walls are flexible and, if ruptured, are restored through oxidation of exposed liquid metal. These flexible-wall microchannels can be repeatedly deflated and refilled with the liquid metal.

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Acknowledgments

KR acknowledges startup funding from Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA

    S. Liu, X. Sun, N. Kemme, V. G. Damle, C. Schott, M. Herrmann & K. Rykaczewski

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  1. S. Liu
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  2. X. Sun
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  3. N. Kemme
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  4. V. G. Damle
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  5. C. Schott
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  6. M. Herrmann
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  7. K. Rykaczewski
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. Rykaczewski.

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Liu, S., Sun, X., Kemme, N. et al. Can liquid metal flow in microchannels made of its own oxide skin?. Microfluid Nanofluid 20, 3 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-015-1665-2

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