Can metal fluid contract under voltage?

[kolleamm]

I was told there exists a metallic fluid that contracts when a voltage is applied to it. Does anything like this actually exist?

 

[Frabjous]

I believe the mechanism you are talking about is known as electrostriction.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostriction

I do not have a good knowledge of which materials exhibit it.

 

[Astronuc]

I believe the mechanism you are talking about is known as electrostriction.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostriction

I do not have a good knowledge of which materials exhibit it.

I was looking for examples of electrostrictive fluids, but could only find statements about dielectric fluids. Electrostrictive change shape in an electric field, which I expects is related to polarization. I've seen examples in the past in physics or materials science texts, but they are all in storage at the moment, so I can't readily access.

 

[256bits]

I was told there exists a metallic fluid that contracts when a voltage is applied to it. Does anything like this actually exist?

You mean like this - ( Watch out for Terminator )
http://cs.swan.ac.uk/~csjen/Documents/Programmable-Liquid-Matter.pdf

If not, it still is interesting.

 

[Frabjous]

You mean like this - ( Watch out for Terminator )

http://cs.swan.ac.uk/~csjen/Documents/Programmable-Liquid-Matter.pdf

If not, it still is interesting.

That's really cool.

And of course they reference Landau

 

[kolleamm]

Thanks for the replies. If something like this does exist, I'm wondering if it would be possible to make an artificial muscle with it.

 

[Frabjous]

Thanks for the replies. If something like this does exist, I'm wondering if it would be possible to make an artificial muscle with it.

They are trying it with polymers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroactive_polymers
https://trs.jpl.nasa.gov/bitstream/handle/2014/37602/05-1898.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y