Researchers' metallic glue may stick it to soldering and welding

I wonder how much of a find this is. If I understand they are using Indium and according to Wiki-

It has been estimated that there are fewer than 14 years left of indium supplies, based on current rates of extraction, demonstrating the need for additional recycling

Even if they could make sure it is always recycled, the amount would continue to shrink.

Was thinking the same thing Bedlam was. I see it as novel and useful, but it's application is limited. Outside that scope, it could possibly cause more problems than it's worth.

One of the best examples is gallium vs. aluminum. (But in other environments other chemicals aren't allowed either, mercury happens to be a big one too.)



www.youtube.com...

Can this glue weld two pieces of metal and still pass an x-Ray inspection?

originally posted by: muse7
Can this glue weld two pieces of metal and still pass an x-Ray inspection?

Yes, but more no.

The x-ray would show the two parent metals and then a bonding agent on the surfaces of the parent metals or what ever you have bonded together.
If you simply do a google search of how welding works you will see that the parent materials are almost fused together with what ever filler metal you are using. This is called penetration, a glue does not penetrate the parent materials / metals all it simply does is create a sort of grip.

A friend of mine is a potter, he explained to me once that in order for things like handles or spouts to ensure a proper fit is to create score marks on either piece he wishes to stick together, or he simply molds the handle straight from the parent clay itself, but there needs to be a contact point somewhere. This is either done by heating the clay in that area and 'welding' the clay to one another or by scoring the parts that will touch and adding water, the water is the 'glue'.

So in order for a glue to be truly sound and pass an Xray the two parent materials must have a matching scoring pattern to create a sort of lock, think of dove tailing in wood working.

The thing is, glue is only super effective if it has a strong grip AROUND what ever you are trying to bond.
In welding there is something called brazing, it usually involves a metal that has a lower melting point than the parent materials, but when it cools and normalizes it still has enough strength that it will hold.

originally posted by: Brotherman
a reply to: anonentity
I'm a professional contract rig welder. If someone hands me jb weld or lock tite I look at them like they are retards and tell them to get someone else.

Normally I would agree but all the bearings that are really small, cant have an interference fit , they run to lumpy, the likes of printers etc. and small appliances have them stuck in. So they have no distortion. The engine makers always use it to lock the bearings in even with an interference fit. It beats superglue, as you have to heat the article up to 500 c to get a Loctite bearing out, then when it cools it grips again. but if you have been working on something, with hours of work, and make a mistake,it saves scraping all those hours.

originally posted by: Brotherman
a reply to: DAVID64
I'm a welder fabricator myself and thought exactly what you said as soon as I saw the article. Lol we have enough cheap Chinese junk trying to infiltrate our niche we dont need more do it your self welding stuff for idiots. Now dont get me wrong I always like them people cause when they eff it up really bad I can use the work... Its just when I go to a job and am asked to use products like that, that's when I roll the leads and drag up. I was once asked to weld aluminum to black iron at a va hospital, I told them its not possible and that is an engineering mistake. After arguing for about 30 minutes the site super approached me with JB weld. I drug up.

Used to know a guy in the 90's and he and his dad had this rod (can't remember the name) they were based in CA. Anyways, this rod would weld cast, metal, aluminium, pot metal, whatever you had to each other. It was arc type rod, maybe a bit smaller diameter than 6011. Just saying. and on cast, it rocked compared to that triangle sh(*t. and no preheating necessary.

My favorite line when someone brought in a metal object for repair and asked, "can you weld this?"
Wrong question. I would stare them straight in the eyes and reply "I can weld your ass-hole shut if you can stand the pain"! always straight faced and serious. Reactions were always classic.

originally posted by: Blaine91555
I wonder how much of a find this is. If I understand they are using Indium and according to Wiki-

It has been estimated that there are fewer than 14 years left of indium supplies, based on current rates of extraction, demonstrating the need for additional recycling

Even if they could make sure it is always recycled, the amount would continue to shrink.

Patent US20120034734
System and method for fabricating thin-film photovoltaic devices

By capping the multi-layer structure with the copper gallium layer, the depletion of indium during the selenization of the multi-layer is reduced or eliminated.

This publication and application are from 2010 and 2012. Maybe depletion will be eliminated after all.

originally posted by: Brotherman
a reply to: anonentity
I'm a professional contract rig welder. If someone hands me jb weld or lock tite I look at them like they are retards and tell them to get someone else.

How about Hot Rivets?

Had to install steel panels from ceiling down 8 feet in rows from center building to windows on North end at ceiling, then install electric run louvers in all the windows.
We had to do this graveyard while no shift was working and double lock the overhead cranes power breakers so that it would take My key and Boeings key to get in to power the cranes. This was in an old hot rivet building where day and swing assembled turbo jets. We also had to cover all the engines being assembled with plastic. (wouldn't want some foreign object to fall into a plane engine.

Of course, prior to starting, we had to submit a plan and it needed to be approved. It was funny because the dudes from Boeing and the General had been discussing what our plan would be and I knew they were both curious as hell to know what our plan would be. See, the problem was, with all the hot riveted bracing at ceiling was so intricate and close together, you could not get up there with the metal sheets by way of scissor lift, reach fork lift, boom, or any other man lift. The hot riveted trusses and all the support was like trying to get in through a game of pick-up sticks. Our procedure submitted was to send one guy up in a rope rigged harness like sky scraper window washer might use. Our plan had color illustrations of the harness, all knots and rope routing. We would then use a man lift to lift the sheeting to the guy rigged up in the hot rivet supports.

It was great when they contacted us with approval of the plan. Both Boeing and General were actually amazed at our approach. Turns out they even had a side bet we wouldn't come up with a plan that would be approved. After that job, built three buildings adjacent to the runway tarmac at the field in south Seattle, and moved an overhead crane assembly to one of the new buildings.
We were strapping the I-beams to the side of a scissor lift and driving to the new building. That turned out to be a no no. Almost got kicked over that one.

Don't get me started about the East Seattle Police Precinct Seismic Upgrade fiasco. (started when a roofer dropped something on an officer's desk while he sat there. (occupied building) The guild shut down the job and what transpired subsequently was stranger than fiction for sure...

End rant/