Post #2038771
2026-04-30 02:54 UTC
EDIT: check luciole’s comment, the cover is likely tin undergoing tin pest, not aluminium.
The cover picture is likely gallium over aluminium, unrelated to medication. Metallic aluminium is surprisingly reactive, but usually you don’t notice it because it’s covered with a layer of oxide; so in the presence of certain other metals you get a vicious cycle, like:
gallium leaks past the oxide layer, and forms an alloy with the aluminium
aluminium in the alloy gets exposed to the air, so it becomes oxide
the alloy kicks the oxide out, because it stopped being a metal
now gallium is free to form an alloy with even more metallic aluminium
It also works with mercury. The metal, not this one.
Now I’m going to watch the video. Sorry. I just had to babble about metals, plus aluminium fuckery brings me childhood memories (not even joking).
Replies (3)
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@HopeOfTheGunblade@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2026-04-30 05:41
If it helps any, gallium poisoning was my first thought as well.
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@flying_sheep@lemmy.ml 2026-05-01 22:55
The video is about polymorphism. Both tin pest and the drug incident that this video covers are instances of polymorphism where a less desirable polymorph is more stable. It goes into detail about similarities, differences and much more.
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@luciole@beehaw.org 2026-04-30 03:25
Video talks about tin pest.