Investigating the Phase Transition Sequence and Thermal Diffusion Behavior of Ga-In and Ga-Sn Liquid Metals

Abstract

Abstract:The emergence of miniaturization and high efficiency of power devices has led to the requirements for heat dissipation materials. Gallium-based liquid metal (LM) proposes a potential solution to the heat dissipation problem due to its high thermal diffusion property. However, the impact of structural evolution of LMs caused by phase transition on thermal diffusion near room temperature remains unclear. Herein, a strategy to investigate the phase transition sequence in the hypoeutectic, eutectic and hypereutectic Ga-In and Ga-Sn liquid metals as well as their thermal diffusion properties is introduced. The study highlights the complex phase transition dynamics and non-linear thermal diffusivity properties of these liquid metals, particularly influenced by the nano-sized β-phase during temperature changes. The precipitation of β-phase significantly enhances the thermal diffusivity during the cooling process with high thermal diffusivity coefficient. In the heating stage, second-order phase transitions of β-phase increase phonon and electron scattering in Ga-In and Ga-Sn LMs, causing a decrease in their thermal diffusivity. These results may pave the way for novel approaches to improve the thermal diffusivity of liquid metals.

Keywords: Gallium-based liquid metal, eutectic phase transitions, nano-sized β-phase precipitation, thermal diffusivity