Flow Dynamics of Liquid Metal

Fluid property is the basis of the numerous applications of liquid metal materials. The unique physical and chemical properties of liquid metal endow it with rich hydrodynamics phenomena and trigger a series of applications, such as electronic printing, chip cooling, and liquid robot. Compared with the traditional liquid materials represented by water and organics, liquid metals show great differences in kinematic viscosity, surface tension, wettability, and other flow properties. The fluid properties of liquid metals are affected by many factors, such as oxygen, charge, chemical reaction, etc. These factors have many important effects on the physical and chemical properties of the liquid metal interface, such as the change of adhesion, the change of surface tension, and the movement and deformation. This chapter is aimed to systemically summarize the flow dynamics of liquid metal, including three parts, the hydraulic characteristics between liquid metal and other fluids, the hydraulic characteristics between liquid metal and solid walls, and the hydraulic characteristics of liquid metal under electromagnetic field.