Applications of Liquid Metals II

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this Special Issue on liquid metals is to bring together several aspects of this topic, acquire a sound basis of understanding, and provide an opportunity for discussion between those doing research in this field. Liquid metal materials are rapidly emerging as next-generation materials and many features of liquid metals such as the scattering of X-rays or neutrons, electromagnetic forces, electron metal screening, ion shielding, properties of solid metals, dynamics of fluids from inelastic neutron scattering, and electron energy level spectrum have gained extensive attention. Each liquid metal has its own peculiar characteristics. For example, lithium is the lightest of all metals and has the highest specific heat per unit mass. Lithium is characterized by large thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity, low viscosity, and low-vapor pressure. Lithium is not only the most promising coolant for thermonuclear power installations but it also provides raw nuclear fuel to implement fusion reaction.

At room temperature, liquid metals display many unconventional properties superior to those of conventional metals while at high-temperature they are considered to be the most promising coolants. For heat transfer applications the thermal entrance length of liquid metals is relatively high leading to the flow never reaching a fully developed condition and higher Nusselt number values. The molecular properties of liquid metals are such that the thermal diffusion is faster than momentum diffusion with a Prandtl number less than one. The thermal boundary layer for liquid metal flow is not only confined to the near-wall region but also extends to the turbulent core region, which makes the turbulent structures important in the transfer of heat. Liquid metals are considered promising coolants for high-temperature applications, such as nuclear fission and fusion reactors, due to their high thermal diffusivity and excellent heat transfer characteristics. A good coolant should have a high melting point and avoid local boiling spots. The study of the surrounding magnetic fields that reduce the turbulence may also be important.

Liquid metals are important in several science fields. In bio-material engineering, room-temperature liquid metals display many unconventional properties superior to those of conventional ones and their outstanding, unique versatility opens many exciting opportunities for medical science. Moreover, the unique properties of liquid metals also enable many advanced bio-applications in the fields of drug delivery, molecular imaging, cancer therapy, and biomedical devices. In mechanical engineering, liquid metal corrosion problems need to be addressed to acquire a sound basis of understanding and to provide an opportunity for the development of liquid metal heat and power sources for special purposes, including heat-pipe systems, power systems, and liquid metal fast breeder reactor systems. In electronics, by combining the properties of metallic electrical conductivity, high surface tension, and low viscosity, some researchers have developed flexible components of electronic devices and microfluidic actuators. In chemistry, when liquid metals are used as a chemical reaction platform, the native-oxide skin, which appears on the surface of many liquid metals, is considered to be an excellent planar system to atomically form thin materials with extraordinary functionalities.

Prof. Dr. Sandro Manservisi
Guest Editor

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