what does flowing electricty through molten metal do for solubility? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2025, 03:32:17 am
content: If I have a container that is not very soluble in something, lets say chrome and tin.If I melt a chrome cup filled with tin, and run a current through it, would more of the container dissolve? Like if there was a titanium electrode in the middle.

author: Paradroid
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2025, 05:47:19 am
content: The current will heat up the metal, so yes, it will positively affect solubility. You'll need a beefy supply and cables, as the molten blob will have a very low resistance.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2025, 05:57:58 am
content: No I mean if you keep it heated externally.Does the electricity help at all in dissolving anything? Like for electroplating, but instead of water there is liquid metal.Other then just the extra heat, is anything happening because of electricity?

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2025, 06:19:02 am
content: Do you mean with one wire dipped inthe molten metal and the other wire connected to the metal container? Some kind of electrolytic effect?

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2025, 06:21:47 am
content: a chromium or nickel crucible of molten tin on a hot plate. Inside is titanium rod or something connected to one side of current, and the other is connected to the crucible, so the current flows to the thing in the middle.is there extra dissolving or something else happening?Other then heat being made by resistor

author: Vovk_Z
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2025, 08:50:57 am
content: I uess electrisity (if not extreme) doesn't change chemical properties of materials (and metals).

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2025, 08:31:11 pm
content: Are you sure. I read about electroplasticity. If it increases plasticity for some materials it may increase solubility.

author: LaserSteve
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2025, 02:49:42 pm
content: First order effects, i.e. electrolysis, are unlikely in pure metals. Second order effects, phase separation, eddy current mixing, additional heating, might occur. By definition a molten metal is a sea of high mobility free electrons to begin with, so any additional effects would be quite small.Add a high current and a magnetic field, and you might some small weird third order effects in some alloys/mixtures.Good luck demonstrating any of the above at home.MHD is always interesting, but difficult to find a use for.There is a reaction rate anomaly in sodium that took years to document, a mixed team of amateurs and professionals finally published it, and the jury is still out on that one. However, it is not truly metal to metal.Steve

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2025, 04:17:27 pm
content: Quote from: LaserSteve on July 11, 2025, 02:49:42 pmThis.Electrons are 10,000 lighter than the lightest metalic ion (lithium). So 99.99% of current flow is going to be electrons, movement of ions is negligible. The high mobility / conductivity of the conduction band electrons will almost perfectly screen internal electric fields so the actual atoms won't "notice" any fields, and there are so many electrons present that there won't be a significant change in the distribution of electrons.Most of the fun stuff only happens when you have a low carrier density. That's true for both electro-chemical processes where you have ionic currents, and semiconductors where the low density of carriers compared to a metal makes it easier for field effects to modulate the behavior.

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2025, 04:39:20 pm
content: I would assume an influence on the process of creating zones when cooling down an alloy while under current flow. Also pumping in (electrical) energy will raise the the temperature/movement, so the likelyhood of mixing unmixable compounds is higher. But that effect should only be very minimal.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2025, 05:37:23 pm
content: But what about this. If its more plastic it means its weaker.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ElectroplasticityFrom what I understand for some materials like Zinc, if you pass current through it, it will tear at a substantially lower force then if it was pulled without electricity at the same temperature.I think a proper experiment would be a thin zinc wire in a flow fluid regulated tube (i.e. cold water pipe) with some rubber baffles to allow a seal but also pulling. The idea is you do one test with a power supply turned on and one test with a power supply turned off. I think I read it might break 10%+ or more easily (tensile pull)To me that is atoms moving around. If they move around easier should it not dissolve better?I think I noticed it too, with bending iron bars connected to a brazing transformer. 2 copper clamps + a vise. My experience trying this is minimal but once I was surprised how easy it was to bend like a 5/8 inch steel rod, compared to with a oxy acetylene torch, at roughly the same temperature (eyeballed by glow color). OF course I did not measure anything but I recall thinking that it was too easy. For making handles for a box. This was probobly at least 500 amps. The comparison is to a proper OA -rosebud tip. I always wanted to make a adapter for bending sheet metal under current, but its alot of engineering to make a hook up for sheets. For heavy rods in a shop vise its actually pretty easy to set up a connection. I use the big ass copper screw clamp. I always wondered how thick of a stainless I can bend in my little break if it had some juice going through it.