The T-1000, which appears in the movie Terminator 2, is made of liquid metal. Thanks to this, you can freely change your body and pass through narrow gaps. However, Chinese researchers have succeeded in making liquid metal that can move horizontally as well as vertically to remind the T-1000.
Of course, the robot has not been developed so far as it can change its shape freely like the T-1000. However, gallium or some alloys are liquid at room temperature and have high conductivity and strain. When liquid metal such as nickel or iron is added to such a liquid metal, a liquid metal moving by the magnet can be produced. However, most of the magnetic liquid metal can move only horizontally because of its high surface tension. Chinese researchers have developed a liquid metal that can solve this problem and move not only horizontally but also vertically and maintain its shape in the air.
The researchers added iron particles to liquid metals made of tin alloys dipped in gallium, indium, and hydrochloric acid. The liquid metal forms a gallium oxide layer on the surface, and the surface tension is lower than usual. The researchers used two magnets to stretch the liquid metal horizontally so that it could grow up to four times its length.
The liquid metal also has conductivity and can be moved by a magnet to form a circuit and turn the LED lamp on or off. When a magnet is brought close to a liquid metal by placing it in hydrochloric acid, the liquid metal grows in the body immersed in hydrochloric acid.
The newly developed liquid metal can form a circuit from the liquid to the air and turn the LED lamp on or off without losing its characteristics in the vertical direction or in the air. The researchers hope to apply liquid metal to various fields such as software robots in the future. For more information, please click here .