Zinc is reduced slightly more easily than gallium, and much more readily than aluminum, so in an aqueous solution, the aluminum will reduce any
ambient zinc or gallium salts back to their metals. However, because zinc doesn't dissolve very well in gallium-based alloys, often what will happen
is that the zinc will be reduced to dust, which will then drift away in suspension. The suspended zinc dust can then reduce gallium out of solution,
preventing gallium salts from being recycled back to metal by the aluminum. Since the gallium is necessary for giving the alloy its low melting point,
this effect can eventually stop the reduction entirely. |