Conducting liquid that is not electrolysed

[eptheta]

Hi,
Can anyone suggest a conducting liquid that does not get electrolysed when current passes through it ?
By liquid i mean anything, a salt solution, a liquid metal...The only restricting factor is that is should be in liquid state at room temperature(i.e does not require extra heating/cooling/attention)

Mercury is option 1, but I'm looking for alternatives...
Gallium is 2, but it's hell costly.
Any ? Thanks.

 

[eptheta]

Anyone ?
In any case, Suppose I use copper sulphate solution and pass AC current through it, will it get electrolysed or will it be in a state of equilibrium ?

 

[Borek]

Charge transfer between electrode and solution always means electrode reaction. It doesn't have to be electrolysis - it can be reduction/oxidation, something like Fe(III)/Fe(II).

 

[eptheta]

So is CuSO4 a good idea?
If not, could you suggest a relatively inexpensive liquid that i could use to conduct electricity (since i live under the sea, and we don't allow copper wires here...Stupid government)

 

[Borek]

Use aluminum wires.

 

[eptheta]

I need a liquid, not a solid...
There must be something like mercury but slightly less deadly and also cheap...

 

[alxm]

If you find one, you can create a replacement for mercury switches (which've been phased out due to RoHS).

So far I don't think anyone really has because there simply isn't any known fluid that conducts electricity well enough, or at currents high enough.

 

[Dadface]

Eptheta if you describe your application people here might come up with suitable alternatives to a liquid.I am thinking of fine carbon powder,it is a good conductor and acts a bit like a fluid.

 

[eptheta]

Ah, I should probably think of this on my own anyway. (It does have to to with switches and bounce though...)
Thanks a lot though. I'll look into carbon powder and see if it suits my application.

This topic can be closed. I don't want to take the fun out of experimenting !

 

[DrDu]

Do you want to conduct dc or ac?

 

[eptheta]

Ah what the heck !
The application is something like a switch which creates a circuit due to the electrical conductivity of the liquid.

I need it specifically for AC, but it would be great if it works for DC too...

 

[Borek]

Why does it have to be a liquid - perhaps small metal ball on rails will do the trick?

What currents do you expect - small ones? Large ones?

I have a feeling it is not a chemistry problem, more engineering one.

 

[eptheta]

Good point...
The idea of this thread was just so i can find a suitable 'liquid' (chemistry involved) to start my 'engineering' project (one option) with, but it has evolved to become a discussion of my project itself (which I don't want really).
So I'll stop it here. Thank for all the suggestions, i appreciate it, but I'm going to have to end up doing it myself.

Can this topic be closed? (every new reply tempts me to start discussing it again)
Thanks.

 

[DrDu]

I just wanted to give you a tip: Look up how an electrolytic capacitor works.
That's why I was asking whether ac would do.

 

[ChrisAndre]

So is CuSO4 a good idea?

CuSO4 solutions yield sulfuric acid when electrolyzed...

 

[Borek]

Depends on what is happening on anode.