form a metal from hydrogen

Discussion in 'Chemistry' started by Michael, Aug 4, 2009.

  1. Michael 歌舞伎 Valued Senior Member

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    On The Path To Metallic Hydrogen

    Scientists predicted that it should be possible to form a metal from hydrogen, but the pressure that would be required to do so – some 4 million atmospheres – exceeds that at the center of the earth. By forming compounds of hydrogen with another element like Si it is possible to make fairly dense forms of hydrogen that do become metals at more experimentally accessible pressures. In fact, SiH4 becomes a metal at about one tenth the pressure needed to make pure hydrogen metallic, and a superconductor at about 1 million atmospheres



    I was wondering, what would it mean to form a metal from Hydrogen?
     
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  3. PieAreSquared Woo is resistant to reason Registered Senior Member

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    seems like it would be light
     
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  5. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Presumably, it would have superconductor properties ?
     
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  7. GeoffP Caput gerat lupinum Valued Senior Member

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    Uhhh...isn't this close to what one does to get a thermonuclear reaction going? Minus the accelerated particles? Still seems a bit dicey. Not to be a Luddite, but I have an idea. The next time some clod comes up with the next "shoot particles at faster than the speed of sound" idea, how about we relocate them to Mars? Sounds like the perfect testing ground.
     
  8. orcot Valued Senior Member

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    Looks like something that would decay under normal pressure
     
  9. BenTheMan Dr. of Physics, Prof. of Love Valued Senior Member

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    It would not decay, it would evaporate. I seem to recall that the predicted properties have it stable to something like 70 K.
     
  10. Michael 歌舞伎 Valued Senior Member

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    What makes it a metal though? The shared electrons?
     
  11. ripleofdeath Registered Senior Member

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    whats the point ?

    2 basic things

    1. orbital construction of strong lightweight structures that can house and transport humans and cargo

    2. hydrogen is the most prolific substance in the known universe therefor it has no real intrusive resource value and cant be dominated by any one species/race and can be collected and used in any place by dredge harvesting space(or using a magnetic collector to allow complete robotic production at point of construction).
     
  12. ripleofdeath Registered Senior Member

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    what is normal pressure and what is the temperature of space ?
     
  13. Dywyddyr Penguinaciously duckalicious. Valued Senior Member

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    How do you keep it metallic?

    Effectively zero pressure and the temperatures varies, depending on whether you're in direct sunlight or shadow.
    There is no "temperature of space".
     
  14. ripleofdeath Registered Senior Member

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    yeah kinda when your in shade your quite cold if i recall correctly.

    <><><><><><><>
    The short answer is that the temperature in space is approximately 2.725 Kelvin. That means the universe is generally just shy of three degrees above absolute zero – the temperature at which molecules themselves stop moving. That’s almost -270 degrees Celsius, or -455 Fahrenheit.
    <><><><><><><>



    now here is the 64 trillion dollar question (20 years ago saying such a number would seem like making a fairy tale out of it but now we can actually fathom such an amount and discuss it! how freaky is that !)

    do you think if i knew i wold tell just anyone for free ?
    like medical technology it is sold for a price no matter how many will die without the knowledge.
    same with all this sorta stuff.
    IF i did know i certainly would not be telling anyone for less than a few hundred million Euros that's for sure.


    oops what i forgot to mention is the pressure issue

    when talking to sheeple you may as well say there is no gravity in space but that is not correct.
    it is a micro gravity environment.
    i should imagine pressure to be exactly the same.
     
  15. Dywyddyr Penguinaciously duckalicious. Valued Senior Member

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    Yep and in sunlight (especially if it's a crewed vehicle) the problem is getting rid of heat.

    In shadow: in sunlight it's around 280K.

    And someone would certainly pay it.
    (Well once there was a reasonably cheap process for manufacturing the stuff in the first place).

    Hence my wording: "effectively" zero.

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  16. granpa Registered Senior Member

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    Last edited: Aug 5, 2009
  17. orcot Valued Senior Member

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    I'm confused doesn't evaporate means that it keeps it same make up Sih4 but only changes to a gas form, Decay would mean the H2 outgasses and here on earth bonds with the O2 to form H2O leaving a decaying form of silicium who most likly also reacts with O2 to form siO2?



    Ah space but I meant conditions where either people could live or where electronics can operate
     
  18. ripleofdeath Registered Senior Member

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    what you reckon the pressure is when you get hit by a neutron shower ?
    :xctd:
    :geek:
     
  19. Dywyddyr Penguinaciously duckalicious. Valued Senior Member

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    Hence my wording "effectively".
    A neutron shower, a meter shower and nasty little green aliens are all "extra" conditions.

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    Or are you going to rely on transient, non-constant conditions to maintain the required pressure?
     
  20. ripleofdeath Registered Senior Member

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    your trying to bait me into answering but im not telling :shh:
    the last couple ideas i shared made some people a few hundred million and they never gave me a red cent or acknowledged me.

    i dont actually care about it but it was a good lesson.
    most people will betray anything and sell their soul to make money if the price is high enough.

    how ever i have fought long and hard for my soul and would be way more inclined to sell their childrens instead. :xctd:
     
  21. ElectricFetus Sanity going, going, gone Valued Senior Member

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    Metallic hydrogen is like the philosopher's stone of metallurgy, even if we could make it I put high bets it won't be stable and of only limited particle use. Assuming it was stable it probably would have properties like lithium metal: very reactive and very weak and brittle.
     
    Last edited: Aug 8, 2009
  22. ripleofdeath Registered Senior Member

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    personally i think its all a bit like the way water is described as a liquid.
     

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