Gallium - a terminator metal

A living creature comes out of gallium ... an alien lifeform. This video shows how to fight back when these start coming from the future.
Even crazier video "Mercury - an alien metal"    • Mercury - an alien metal  
Follow us here   / superaccu  
Ionic liquids    • Ionic liquids for energy storage and ...  
See our other chemistry experiments at http://www.chemicum.com/chemistry-videos

Gallium is the terminator metal because it can change shape, form fidget spinner, go through aluminum and form explosive gases. Some tricks with gallium and Galinstan are shown in the video.
1) Gallium melts in hot sulpuric acid. It can be collected with a micropipette and small droplets join in a very funny way.

2) Potassium dichromate crystals are added, which makes gallium wobbling due to the formation of insoluble salts on the metal surface. The change of interfacial tension makes gallium change its shape.

3) In the second experiment, hydrogen peroxide is added instead of dichromate and the gallium droplet is touched with an iron wire. Now gallium makes itself as flat as possible and white layer (oxide?, sulphate?) forms at the metal surface. When gallium is heated shortly with a torch, it forms a single droplet and then again makes itself flat. Gas bubbles (probably oxygen) start bubbling through the metal and it becomes a flat white flower.

4) Then we prepared galinstan by heating together solid metals gallium (68%), tin (22%) and indium (10%). While gallium melts at 29.8 °C, Galinstan is even liquid at −19 °C. It can be spread onto a glass to make a mirror. Gallium and galinstan form an alloy with aluminum and this alloy reacts with water releasing hydrogen. So it can be used to store energy - aluminium and water on board of a hydrogen fuel cell car can make several times more hydrogen than high pressure hydrogen balloons could possibly accommodate and it is safer as well.
2Al(xGa) + 6H2O = 2Al(OH)3 + xGa + 3H2

Video by Tavo Romann, music Kaido Viht, Jakob Remmel, Indrek Valge.
©Superaccu OÜ. Note that it is not allowed to copy this video to another server without permission, use embed/share function.

Gallium - das Terminator Metall
鎵 - 終結者金屬
gálio - o terminador de metal
galio - el metal terminador
галлия - металла терминатора
gallium - le métal de terminateur
gallio - il metallo terminator
गैलियम - टर्मिनेटर धातु
الغاليوم - فاصل المعادن
ガリウム - ターミネータ金属
갈륨 - 금속 터미네이터
gallium - terminaatori metall

German subtitles by Robin Ehrminger