Elementary Productions: Preparation of NaK

In this video, an alloy between elemental Sodium and Potassium is made. If mixed in a proper ratio, the alloy is liquid at room- temperature.
It is extremely reactive with water, even more so than Sodium or Potassium alone.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• sodium
• potassium
• NaK
• alloy
• liquid
• room
• temperature
• water
• extremely
• reactive
• nitrogen
• awesome
• chemistry
• interesting
• experiment
• cool
• chemical

[ENavarrete10]

why didn't you make more...

[mabakken]

Simple: It is a very scary alloy! It sticks to the inside of the test tube, and the test tube can't be discarded before every remaining bit of NaK has been removed or "reacted away".

[vmelkon]

Wow, that's the first time I've seen NaK.

NaK is not used as a radiation shield AFAIK. It is used in nuclear reactors as a heat exchanger.

[mabakken]

Thank you, you are absolutely right =)

[douro20]

@mabakken

A lot of eutectic alloys which are liquid at room temperature wet glass easily.

[JerryGiesler09]

Uh, is the NaK more reactive than Rubidium or Cesium?

[Riley0143rsj]

@CrazyforDarkness Same, seen it done. Scary stuff...

[CrazyforDarkness]

I heard It will light on fire before it hits the ground

[JavAnarkoMet]

exelent video.

[DoctorStu27]

@mabakken I agree with ENavarrete10, you should've made more. It's quite an interesting alloy to work with. It can be scary stuff, but you get used to it once you've handled it enough. I used to research the stuff as a replacement for Dysprosium in nuclear reactors and I found it to be a really interesting alloy.

[vmelkon]

@yyarross coolant and heat exchanger means the same thing.

[yyarross]

@vmelkon Actually, as a coolant :)

[frosty956]

I think sodium will burn under nitrogen at high temperature,

[darksideofthebrick13]

pronounced "pot 'o' sodium?"