While conducting a seemingly innocuous experiment, an American student recently made a discovery that could revolutionize the laws of thermodynamics... and it was completely by chance! We tell you this crazy story.
The history of science and technology is full of major discoveries... made by accident! We all know the legend of Isaac Newton who, after being hit on the head by an apple, developed the law of universal gravitation, but many other revolutionary discoveries were also the result of chance:
- Radioactivity in 1896, when Henri Beckerel discovered that a photographic plate had become cloudy, without even being exposed to light, because of the uranium salts he had stored there;
- Or even antibiotics and penicillin in 1928, when Alexander Fleming discovered that a fungus prevented the growth of bacteria in a Petri dish he had forgotten about.
And this kind of happy coincidence recently happened again in an American laboratory…
A simple lab experiment with a surprising result
Imagine you're a student studying polymer science, engineering, and physics at UMass Amherst (the University of Massachusetts Amherst). You're doing experiments in the lab, manipulating liquid systems, exploring new avenues to develop fluids with innovative properties. More precisely, you mix water and oil, to which you add magnetized nickel particles.
And then the magic—or rather, the laws of thermodynamics—works… But the result is anything but what you expected! While the two liquids should have emulsified, your experiment forms a sort of perfect Greek vase. No matter how hard you shake it, the urn comes back. Every time. Except that, "in general, liquids don't do that."
This true story, is that of Anthony Raykh and it could well call into question certain fundamental principles of physics.
A mysterious magnetic liquid that defies the laws of physics
Faced with this reaction, Anthony Raykh, perplexed, wonders: "What's going on?[…] In class, in the textbooks, I learned that this kind of thing… It just wasn't possible." He then goes to question his professors. And David Hoagland and Thomas Russell grasp the potential of this anomaly. To fully grasp the uniqueness of this discovery, let's take a look at emulsification.
Generally, when mixing two immiscible liquids, such as water and oil, particles are used to reduce the tension at the interface between the two and thus stabilize the emulsion, that is, their temporary mixing. This is a basic principle of thermodynamics, which is trivially found in a vinaigrette made of water, oil, and spices.
But in Raykh's experiment, the opposite happened: "It doesn't did not separate completely: we obtained this pretty urn shape." This result is due to the magnetized nickel particles: their reactions to the magnetic field were so strong that instead of reducing the interfacial tension, they increased it. In other words, instead of promoting the emulsion, the ferromagnetic particles prevented it.
The most astonishing thing is the unusual stability of the interface: after vigorous shaking, the amphora always reappeared! This is explained by the magnetic interactions of the particles on the surface: they align and attract each other in a very singular way "and by organizing themselves in this way, they modify the properties of this interface: its shape, its stability, and other characteristics crucial to the behavior of liquids", explains Hoagland.
To verify this experiment, UMass Amherst conducted simulations and modeling in partnership with Tufts and Syracuse universities... which confirmed it: a liquid interface can be modeled and stabilized in the form of an amphora by magnetic forces.
This "shape memory liquid", to borrow the title of the research published on April 4 in the journal Nature Physics, notably by Raykh and his professors Russell and Hoagland, reveals a new behavior of matter, which could well have incredible future implications…
Read also: This tiny glass ball found on the Moon reveals a secret buried for billions of years
Des implications au potentiel dingue
This behavior of a previously unknown liquid systemopens up fascinating studies on the structuring of the properties of matter by external forces, such as magnetism. This research project on magnetic manipulation and the creation of materials capable of self-organization is gaining increasing interest, as evidenced by the support of the U.S. National Science Foundation and Department of Energy.
Anthony Raykh's discovery, although in its infancy, could have future implications that are completely crazyin the worlds of industry and technology. Among the potential applications of this accidental discovery, one could imagine:
- A post-Teflon and PFAStoxicity-free: with dynamic interfaces organized by magnetic particles, we can imagine self-cleaning and non-stick coatings that are non-toxic, more durable and free from "eternal pollutants".
- New ways to separate rare earths (necessary for magnets, batteries, etc.): by controlling the liquid interface at a very fine level using magnetic particles, we could improve the extraction and separation processes for rare earths, which are currently very polluting and expensive.
- Innovative ways to separate isotopes in the fields of energy or medicine: this new system could offer an alternative to energy-intensive methods such as centrifugation or gaseous diffusion.
- In fields where foams and emulsions are omnipresent (food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, chemical industry and bioreactors, etc.): this discovery would make it possible to formulate more stable, effective, ecological, or controlled-release products, without chemical preservatives, stabilizers, or surfactants.
Thus, this discovery could make it possible to manipulate matter without resorting to heavy, toxic, or polluting chemical processes. And this accidental discovery, which remains, for the moment, a fascinating enigma, could open the way to other promising discoveries…
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