Ultrasonic cavitation of molten gallium: formation of micro- and nano-spheres

Vijay Bhooshan Kumar; Aharon Gedanken; Giora Kimmel; Ze'ev Porat

doi:10.1016/j.ultsonch.2013.11.004

Ultrasonic cavitation of molten gallium: formation of micro- and nano-spheres

Ultrason Sonochem. 2014 May;21(3):1166-73. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2013.11.004. Epub 2013 Nov 16.

Authors

Vijay Bhooshan Kumar¹, Aharon Gedanken¹, Giora Kimmel², Ze'ev Porat³

Affiliations

¹ Bar-Ilan Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel.
² Institute of Applied Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel.
³ Institute of Applied Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel; Division of Chemistry, Nuclear Research Center-Negev, Be'er Sheva 84190, Israel. Electronic address: poratze@post.bgu.ac.il.

PMID: 24296070
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2013.11.004

Abstract

Pure gallium has a low melting point (29.8°C) and can be melted in warm water or organic liquids, thus forming two immiscible liquid phases. Irradiation of this system with ultrasonic energy causes cavitation and dispersion of the molten gallium as microscopic spheres. The resultant spheres were found to have radii range of 0.2-5 μm and they do not coalesce upon cessation of irradiation, although the ambient temperature is well above the m.p. of gallium. It was found that the spheres formed in water are covered with crystallites of GaO(OH), whereas those formed in organic liquids (hexane and n-dodecane) are smooth, lacking such crystallites. However, Raman spectroscopy revealed that the spheres formed in organic liquids are coated with a carbon film. The latter may be the factor preventing their coalescence at temperatures above the m.p. of gallium.

Keywords: Cavitation; GaO(OH); Gallium; Micro-/nano-spheres; Organic liquids; Water.