In the video experiment, Thompson melted down potassium chlorate that he got from a pyrotechnics store. Uploaded just yesterday, the video already has well over 661k views.

The computer models confirmed that between about 20,000 and 40,000 times atmospheric pressure and 400 to 800 Kelvin (260 to 980 degrees Fahrenheit), the potassium entered what’s called a chain ...

At extreme pressures, potassium atoms can be both liquid and solid at the same time, a phase of matter known as "chain melt." Christopher Intagliata reports.

The resulting substance – if it could be observed by humans – would look like a solid block of potassium which is simultaneously leaking liquid and reforming as a solid.

Once the potassium samples reached this dual state, they lingered as part-liquid and part-solid even after the heat was turned up hundreds of degrees, according to Hermann.

Aqueous potassium-ion batteries are a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries owing to their safety and low cost. However, not much is known about the properties of the solid-electrolyte ...