Gallium, the magic element made of spoon bending by magicians: who invented it?

Gallium, which is not harmful to the human body as long as you do not swallow it, almost fights with many metals. It attracts attention with its feature that makes some metals, especially aluminum, brittle. Gallium, which is the main actor of the famous "aluminum melting" videos in the internet world, is also the raw material of the materials bent and twisted by magicians...

If you wish, let's get to know this interesting metal, which is rare in nature and has limited production.

The name who first discovered gallium was the French Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran. When he found gallium in 1875, instead of naming it directly, he indirectly referred to its name with a pun. Namely; He used the name "gallium", referring to the Latin name of France, "Gallia". However, the Latin for his surname “Lecog” is “gallus” meaning “rooster”. So there is a reference to the name of the explorer in the gallium somehow. An ancient map of France also features a silver metallic rooster symbol in the background.

Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, also called François Lecoq de Boisbaudran (18 April 1838 – 28 May 1912), was a French chemist known for his discoveries of the chemical elements gallium, samarium and dysprosium. He developed methods for separation and purification of the rare earth elements and was one of the pioneers of the science of spectroscopy.

Bosibaudran obtained 0.65 grams of gallium from 430 kilograms of zinc ore in the first place. Boisbaudran, who isolated gallium by electrolyzing gallium's hydroxide in potassium hydroxide solution, revealed its similarities with aluminum and announced its discovery at the French Academy of Sciences in the same year.

But a gap that Boisbaudran did not realize was filled by the Russian chemist Dmitry Mendeleev. Based on the gaps in the periodic table of elements created in 1871, Mendeleev mentioned the existence of an element that resembles aluminum and has the properties of gallium, which has not yet been discovered. Mendeleev predicted that there might be an element below aluminum on the periodic table. He even suggested the name of this element as "ekaaluminium". This gap was filled 4 years later with Boisbaudran's discovery of gallium, and Mendeleev determined its place in the table.

Chemical Properties

Gallium; It is an element with the chemical symbol "Ga", atomic number 31, and mass number 69.723. Its melting point is 29.8 degrees, and its boiling point is 2204 degrees. It is located in the boron group, which is one of the weak and heavy metals among the 4th-period elements. The same group includes elements such as boron, aluminum, indium, and thallium. It has a silvery white, bluish, and fragile structure. It shows very close resemblances to aluminum. Pure gallium looks like shiny silvery glass particles. Its crystal structure is orthotopic. It has the widest fluid range of any metal. It has a low vapor pressure even at high temperatures. Its electrical conductivity is less than lead. It is soft enough to be cut with a knife. Molten gallium is similar to tin or silver.

It can easily form compounds with many metals. It is the building block of alloys with melting properties, especially at low temperatures. The most commonly used compounds of gallium, which is usually a by-product of aluminum and zinc, are gallium nitride and gallium arsenide. The surface of gallium, which is stable in dry air, becomes opaque in moist air or in oxygenated environments. In reaction with alkalis, hydrogen is released.

It is not found pure in nature. It is easy to obtain from minerals. The most important source of gallium is germanite, which contains 0.7 percent gallium.

Gallium Melted in Human Hand Attacks Metals

Gallium has very interesting properties. Gallium, which does not cause any harm to humans, is almost hostile to metals. Especially the main enemy of aluminum… The melting temperature of gallium is very low. Due to its ability to melt at temperatures of about 30 degrees, gallium melts immediately at a body temperature of about 37 degrees when you take it in your hand. When placed in a glass, it solidifies again at a temperature of about 20 degrees. It separates from mercury because it is non-toxic. In other words, it can be used in jokes that cannot be made with mercury. You can make a joke by throwing the gallium you melted in your hand to your friend easily. Materials such as coins or spoons that magicians bend easily are also made of gallium, which melts easily by hand. Other elements with gallium's ability to melt at low temperatures are cesium, rubidium, and mercury.

Gallium is aluminum's nightmare. Gallium, which does not harm people even though it melts by hand, has a quality that attacks other metals. It makes many metals brittle, especially aluminum. It makes aluminum brittle like paper. When gallium is poured onto an aluminum beverage can, the aluminum surface quickly becomes brittle. You can then break or break the aluminum surface with your finger.