Phil Kangas wrote:
I'm going to try this url to see if it works.
This video is of mercury attacking aluminum.
Can you explain the reaction?
phil k.



http://tinyurl.com/286pl63

aluminum is pretty reactive and forms an oxide coating when it touches
air.

The mercury forms a liquid alloy or amalgam with the aluminum that
disrupts the formation of an oxide layer that self passivates or protects
the aluminum.

I've performed tests with aluminum and mercury and the results are quite
impressive- just like in the video. There's other interesting alamgams
too.

It's really more accurate to watch the video and realize aluminum is one
of those crazy metals that normally ships in a tank of kerosene or oil to
keep air and water away from it, and that the truly amazing part is that
the thin oxide layer it forms really seals the rest of the metal from
basically rusting away, or catching on fire or other stuff like that.

The really thin and almost perfect oxide layer that can be formed on
aluminum is also the basis for aluminum electrolytic capacitors.