News MesoGlue - Room-Temperature Metal Glue

http://www.gizmag.com/mesoglue-metal-glue/41292/

 

[Tek Everything]

This is awesome. I can't wait to get my hands on some!

 

[iFreilicht]

Isn't glue used for metal bonding since over a decade? IIRC, nearly every car that was made in the last few years is glued together instead of being welded.
I might be wrong, but if I'm not, what's so special about this one?

 

[|||]

what's so special about this one?

It's a metal base, not a polymer one. They are using gallium and indium as the two components of the glue in the example they presented. It looks like they also have a friction welding process for joining two metallic objects with their whisker surface prep, as well.

 

[EdZ]

The downside is the need to coat both surfaces with a precise nanostructure (dense spaced pin array). That's not going to be easy.

 

[|||]

Yes, they don't reveal how they achieve the whisker structure on the surfaces. Is it with use of an electromagnetic field? Is it a result of sputtering? It will be interesting to see how much this process costs and if it can be achievable outside a dedicated facility...at least they said they are working on moving it to production, so it is a real thing that has market potential.

 

[iFreilicht]

It's a metal base, not a polymer one. They are using gallium and indium as the two components of the glue in the example they presented. It looks like they also have a friction welding process for joining two metallic objects with their whisker surface prep, as well.

Ah, I see, thanks for clearing that up.