“This is a completely different surfing”: an interview with Russian big waver Andrey Carr Boldyrev. How are you preparing for the next wave? What’s in your head at this moment, and what settings help you feel confident?
Which is 29.76 o C. If you place it in a warm palm, it gradually begins to change from solid to liquid form.
A brief excursion into history
What is the name of the metal that melts in your hand? As noted above, such a material is known as gallium. Its theoretical existence was predicted back in 1870 by a domestic scientist, the author of the table of chemical elements, Dmitry Mendeleev. The basis for the emergence of such an assumption was his study of the properties of numerous metals. At that time, not a single theorist could have imagined that the metal that melts in the hands exists in reality.
The possibility of synthesizing an extremely fusible material, the appearance of which Mendeleev predicted, was proven by the French scientist Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran. In 1875 he succeeded in isolating gallium from zinc ore. During experiments with the material, the scientist obtained a metal that melts in his hands.
It is known that Emile Boisbaudran experienced significant difficulties in isolating a new element from zinc ore. During his first experiments, he managed to extract only 0.1 grams of gallium. However, even this was enough to confirm amazing property material.
Where is gallium found in nature?
Gallium is one of the elements that does not occur as ore deposits. The material is very dispersed in the earth's crust. In nature, it is found in extremely rare minerals such as gallite and zengeite. During laboratory experiments a small amount of gallium can be isolated from the ores of zinc, aluminum, germanium, and iron. Sometimes it is found in bauxite, coal deposits, and other mineral deposits.
How to obtain gallium
Currently, scientists most often synthesize the metal, which melts in the hands, from aluminum solutions that are mined during the processing of alumina. As a result of removing the bulk of aluminum and carrying out the procedure of repeated concentration of metals, an alkaline solution is obtained, which contains a small proportion of gallium. Such material is isolated from solution by electrolysis.
Areas of application
Gallium has not yet found application in industry. Blame it all widespread use aluminum, which has similar properties in solid form. Despite this, gallium looks like a promising material because it has excellent semiconductor properties. This metal can potentially be used for the production of transistor elements, high-temperature current rectifiers, and solar panels. Gallium looks like an excellent solution for making optical mirror coatings that will have the highest reflectivity.
The main obstacle to the use of gallium in industrial scale the high cost of its synthesis from ores and minerals remains. The price per ton of such metal on the world market is more than $1.2 million.
To date, gallium has been found effective application only in the medical field. The metal in liquid form is used to slow down bone loss in people suffering from cancer. It is used to quickly stop bleeding in the presence of extremely deep wounds on the body of victims. In the latter case, blockage of blood vessels by gallium does not lead to the formation of blood clots.
As noted above, gallium is a metal that melts in the hands. Since the temperature required for the material to transform into a liquid state is slightly more than 29 o C, it is enough to hold it in your palms. After some time, the initially solid material will begin to melt literally before our eyes.
A rather fascinating experiment can be carried out with the solidification of gallium. The presented metal tends to expand during solidification. To carry out interesting experience It is enough to place liquid gallium in a glass vial. Next you need to start cooling the container. After some time, you will notice how metal crystals begin to form in the bubble. They will have a bluish color, as opposed to the silvery tint that is characteristic of the material in its liquid state. If cooling is continued, the crystallizing gallium will eventually rupture the glass vial.
In conclusion
So we found out what kind of metal melts in the hand. Today, gallium can be found on sale for own experiences. However, the material should be handled with extreme caution. Solid gallium is a non-toxic substance. However, prolonged contact with the material in liquid form can lead to the most unforeseen health consequences, including respiratory arrest, paralysis of the limbs and a person entering a coma.
About the element with atomic number 31, most readers only remember that it is one of the three elements predicted and described in most detail by D.I. Mendeleev, and that gallium is a very fusible metal: the heat of the palm is enough to turn it into liquid.
However, gallium is not the most fusible of metals (even if you don’t count mercury). Its melting point is 29.75°C, and cesium melts at 28.5°C; only cesium, like any alkali metal, cannot be taken into your hands, so it is naturally easier to melt gallium in the palm of your hand than cesium.
We deliberately began our story about element 31 by mentioning something that almost everyone knows. Because this “known” requires explanation. Everyone knows that gallium was predicted by Mendeleev and discovered by Lecoq de Boisbaudran, but not everyone knows how the discovery occurred. Almost everyone knows that gallium is fusible, but almost no one can answer the question why it is fusible.
How was gallium discovered?
French chemist Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran went down in history as the discoverer of three new elements: gallium (1875), samarium (1879) and dysprosium (1886). The first of these discoveries brought him fame.
At that time he was little known outside of France. He was 38 years old and was primarily involved in spectroscopic research. Lecoq de Boisbaudran was a good spectroscopist, and this ultimately led to success: he discovered all three of his elements by spectral analysis.
In 1875, Lecoq de Boisbaudran examined the spectrum of zinc blende brought from Pierrefitte (Pyrenees). A new violet line (wavelength 4170 Å) was discovered in this spectrum. The new line indicated the presence of an unknown element in the mineral, and, quite naturally, Lecoq de Boisbaudran made every effort to isolate this element. This turned out to be difficult to do: the content of the new element in the ore was less than 0.1%, and in many ways it was similar to zinc*. After lengthy experiments, the scientist managed to obtain new element, but very small quantity. So small (less than 0.1 g) that Lecoq de Boisbaudrap was not able to fully study its physical and chemical properties.
* How gallium is obtained from zinc blende is described below.
The discovery of gallium - this is how the new element was named in honor of France (Gallia is its Latin name) - appeared in the reports of the Paris Academy of Sciences.
This message was read by D.I. Mendeleev and recognized in gallium eka-aluminium, which he had predicted five years earlier. Mendeleev immediately wrote to Paris. “The method of discovery and isolation, as well as the few properties described, lead us to believe that the new metal is none other than eka-aluminium,” his letter said. He then repeated the properties predicted for that element. Moreover, without ever holding grains of gallium in his hands, without seeing it in person, the Russian chemist argued that the discoverer of the element was mistaken, that the density of the new metal cannot be equal to 4.7, as Lecoq de Boisbaudran wrote, - it must be greater, approximately 5.9...6.0 g/cm 3!
Strange as it may seem, the first of his affirmative, “strengthening” ones learned about the existence of the periodic law only from this letter. He once again isolated and carefully purified grains of gallium to check the results of the first experiments. Some historians of science believe that this was done with the aim of disgracing the self-confident Russian “predictor”. But experience showed the opposite: the discoverer was mistaken. He later wrote: “There is no need, I think, to point out the exceptional importance that the density of a new element has in relation to the confirmation of Mendeleev’s theoretical views.”
Other properties of element No. 31 predicted by Mendeleev coincided almost exactly with the experimental data. “Mendeleev’s predictions came true with minor deviations: eka-aluminum turned into gallium.” This is how Engels characterizes this event in “Dialectics of Nature.”
Needless to say, the discovery of the first of the elements predicted by Mendeleev significantly strengthened the position of the periodic law.
Why is gallium fusible?
Predicting the properties of gallium, Mendeleev believed that this metal should be fusible, since its analogues in the group - aluminum and indium - are also not refractory.
But the melting point of gallium is unusually low, five times lower than that of indium. This is explained unusual structure gallium crystals. Its crystal lattice is formed not by individual atoms (as in “normal” metals), but by diatomic molecules. Ga 2 molecules are very stable; they are preserved even when gallium is transferred to a liquid state. But these molecules are connected to each other only by weak van der Waals forces, and very little energy is needed to destroy their bond.
Some other properties of element No. 31 are associated with the diatomicity of molecules. In the liquid state, gallium is denser and heavier than in the solid state. The electrical conductivity of liquid gallium is also greater than that of solid gallium.
What does gallium look like?
Externally - most of all it looks like tin: a silvery-white soft metal; in air it does not oxidize and does not tarnish.
And in most chemical properties, gallium is close to aluminum. Like aluminum, the gallium atom has three electrons in its outer orbit. Like aluminum, gallium easily reacts with halogens (except iodine), even in the cold. Both metals are easily dissolved in sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, both react with alkalis and give amphoteric hydroxides. Reaction dissociation constants
Ga(OH) 3 → Ga 3+ + 3OH –
H 3 GaO 3 → 3H + + GaO 3– 3
– quantities of the same order.
There are, however, differences in chemical properties gallium and aluminum.
Gallium is noticeably oxidized by dry oxygen only at temperatures above 260°C, and aluminum, if deprived of its protective oxide film, is oxidized by oxygen very quickly.
With hydrogen, gallium forms hydrides similar to boron hydrides. Aluminum can only dissolve hydrogen, but not react with it.
Gallium is also similar to graphite, quartz, and water.
On graphite - because it leaves a gray mark on the paper.
For quartz – electrical and thermal anisotropy.
Magnitude electrical resistance gallium crystals depends on which axis the current flows along. The maximum to minimum ratio is 7, more than any other metal. The same goes for the coefficient of thermal expansion.
Its values in the direction of three crystallographic axes (gallium crystals are rhombic) are in the ratio 31:16:11.
And gallium is similar to water in that when it hardens, it expands. The volume increase is noticeable – 3.2%.
The combination of these contradictory similarities alone speaks of the unique individuality of element No. 31.
In addition, it has properties that are not inherent in any element. Once molten, it can remain in a supercooled state for many months at a temperature below its melting point. This is the only metal that remains a liquid in a huge temperature range from 30 to 2230°C, and the volatility of its vapors is minimal. Even in a deep vacuum, it evaporates noticeably only at 1000°C. Gallium vapor, unlike solid and liquid metals, is monatomic. The Ga 2 → 2Ga transition requires large amounts of energy; This explains the difficulty of gallium evaporation.
The large temperature range of the liquid state is the basis of one of the main technical applications element No. 31.
What is gallium good for?
Gallium thermometers can in principle measure temperatures from 30 to 2230°C. Gallium thermometers are now available for temperatures up to 1200°C.
Element No. 31 is used for the production of low-melting alloys used in signaling devices. The gallium-indium alloy melts already at 16°C. This is the most fusible of all known alloys.
As a group III element that enhances “hole” conductivity in a semiconductor, gallium (with a purity of at least 99.999%) is used as an additive to germanium and silicon.
Intermetallic compounds of gallium with group V elements - antimony and arsenic - themselves have semiconductor properties.
The addition of gallium to the glass mass makes it possible to obtain glasses with a high refractive index of light rays, and glasses based on Ga 2 O 3 transmit infrared rays well.
Liquid gallium reflects 88% of the light incident on it, solid gallium reflects slightly less. Therefore, they make gallium mirrors that are very easy to manufacture—the gallium coating can even be applied with a brush.
Sometimes gallium's ability to wet solid surfaces well is used, replacing mercury in diffusion vacuum pumps. Such pumps “hold” vacuum better than mercury pumps.
Attempts have been made to use gallium in nuclear reactors, but the results of these attempts can hardly be considered successful. Not only does gallium quite actively capture neutrons (capture cross section 2.71 barns), it also reacts at elevated temperatures with most metals.
Gallium did not become an atomic material. True, its artificial radioactive isotope 72 Ga (with a half-life of 14.2 hours) is used to diagnose bone cancer. Gallium-72 chloride and nitrate are adsorbed by the tumor, and by detecting the radiation characteristic of this isotope, doctors almost accurately determine the size of foreign formations.
As you can see, the practical possibilities of element No. 31 are quite wide. It is not yet possible to use them completely due to the difficulty of obtaining gallium, a rather rare element (1.5 10 -3% of weight earth's crust) and very absent-minded. Few native gallium minerals are known. Its first and most famous mineral, gallite CuGaS 2, was discovered only in 1956. Later, two more minerals, already very rare, were found.
Typically, gallium is found in zinc, aluminum, iron ores, as well as in coal - as a minor impurity. And what is characteristic: the larger this impurity, the more difficult it is to extract it, because there is more gallium in the ores of those metals (aluminum, zinc) that are similar to it in properties. The bulk of terrestrial gallium is contained in aluminum minerals.
Extracting gallium is an expensive “pleasure”. Therefore, element No. 31 is used in smaller quantities than any of its neighbors on the periodic table.
It is possible, of course, that science in the near future will discover something in gallium that will make it absolutely necessary and irreplaceable, as happened with another element predicted by Mendeleev - germanium. Just 30 years ago it was used even less than gallium, and then the “era of semiconductors” began...
A play on words?
Some historians of science see in the name of element No. 31 not only patriotism, but also the immodesty of its discoverer. It is generally accepted that the word "gallium" comes from the Latin Gallia (France). But if you wish, you can see in the same word a hint of the word “rooster”! The Latin for “rooster” is gallus, and the French is le coq. Lecoq de Boisbaudran?
Depending on age
In minerals, gallium often accompanies aluminum. Interestingly, the ratio of these elements in a mineral depends on the time of formation of the mineral. In feldspars, there is one gallium atom for every 120 thousand aluminum atoms. In nephelines, which formed much later, this ratio is already 1:6000, and in even “younger” petrified wood it is only 1:13.
First patent
The first patent for the use of gallium was taken 60 years ago. They wanted to use element No. 31 in electric arc lamps.
Suppresses sulfur, defends itself with sulfur
An interesting interaction between gallium and sulfuric acid occurs. It is accompanied by the release of elemental sulfur. In this case, sulfur envelops the surface of the metal and prevents its further dissolution. If you wash the metal hot water, the reaction will resume and will continue until a new “skin” of sulfur grows on gallium.
Harmful influence
Liquid gallium reacts with most metals, forming alloys and intermetallic compounds with fairly low mechanical properties. This is why contact with gallium causes many structural materials to lose strength. Beryllium is the most resistant to gallium: at temperatures up to 1000°C, it successfully resists the aggressiveness of element No. 31.
And oxide too!
Minor additions of gallium oxide significantly affect the properties of oxides of many metals. Thus, the admixture of Ga 2 O 3 to zinc oxide significantly reduces its sintering ability. But the solubility of zinc in such an oxide is much greater than in pure zinc. And titanium dioxide's electrical conductivity drops sharply when Ga 2 O 3 is added.
How to obtain gallium
No industrial deposits of gallium ores have been found in the world. Therefore, gallium has to be extracted from zinc and aluminum ores. Since the composition of ores and the gallium content in them are not the same, the methods for obtaining element No. 31 are quite varied. Let us tell you, as an example, how gallium is extracted from zinc blende, the mineral in which this element was first discovered.
First of all, the zinc blende ZnS is fired, and the resulting oxides are leached with sulfuric acid. Along with many other metals, gallium goes into solution. Zinc sulfate predominates in this solution - the main product that must be purified from impurities, including gallium. The first stage of purification is the precipitation of the so-called iron sludge. With the gradual neutralization of the acidic solution, this sludge precipitates. It contains about 10% aluminum, 15% iron and (which is most important for us now) 0.05...0.1% gallium. To extract gallium, the sludge is leached with acid or sodium hydroxide - gallium hydroxide is amphoteric. The alkaline method is more convenient, since in this case the equipment can be made from less expensive materials.
Under the influence of alkali, aluminum and gallium compounds go into solution. When this solution is carefully neutralized, gallium hydroxide precipitates. But some of the aluminum also precipitates. Therefore, the precipitate is dissolved again, this time in hydrochloric acid. The result is a solution of gallium chloride, contaminated predominantly with aluminum chloride. These substances can be separated by extraction. Ether is added and, unlike AlCl 3, GaCl 3 almost completely passes into the organic solvent. The layers are separated, the ether is distilled off, and the resulting gallium chloride is once again treated with concentrated caustic soda to precipitate and separate the iron impurity from the gallium. Gallium metal is obtained from this alkaline solution. Obtained by electrolysis at a voltage of 5.5 V. Gallium is deposited on a copper cathode.
Galium and teeth
Gallium was long thought to be toxic. Only in last decades this misconception has been refuted. Low-melting gallium has interested dentists. Back in 1930, it was first proposed to replace gallium with mercury in compositions for dental fillings. Further research both here and abroad confirmed the prospects of such a replacement. Mercury-free metal fillings (mercury replaced by gallium) are already used in dentistry.
Gallium is a chemical element with atomic number 31. It belongs to the group of light metals and is designated by the symbol “Ga”. Gallium in pure form is not found in nature, but its compounds are found in negligible quantities in bauxite and zinc ores. Gallium is a soft, ductile, silver-colored metal. At low temperatures is in a solid state, but melts at a temperature not much higher than room temperature (29.8 ° C). In the video below you can see how a gallium spoon melts in a cup of hot tea.
(Total 7 photos + 1 video)
1. From the discovery of the element in 1875 until the advent of the semiconductor era, gallium was primarily used to create low-melting alloys.
2. Currently, all gallium is used in microelectronics.
3. Gallium arsenide, the main element compound used, is used in microwave circuits and infrared applications.
4. Gallium nitride is used less in the creation of semiconductor lasers and LEDs in the blue and ultraviolet range.
5. Gallium does not known science biological role. But, since gallium compounds and iron salts behave similarly in biological systems, gallium ions often replace iron ions in medical applications.
Waves most often calm and mesmerize the person watching them. Just imagine: the beach, the setting sun drowning in the ocean waves, one after another rolling in white foam onto the golden sand. “Idyll,” you say. Now imagine: strong gusts winds, a cooling breeze and a huge 30-meter wave that grew right in front of you in a matter of seconds. “Idyll,” the big wave surfers will say.
Today we will tell you about the most famous spots with big waves: how and where these ocean Hulks come from and who is hunting them. Source: birdymag.ru
(Total 14 photos)
Mavericks, California
1. Perhaps, these giant waves have become the most popular and are familiar even to people far from surfing, and all thanks to the film “Wave Conquerors” (2012), which tells the real story of the young surfer Jay Moriarty, who conquered those same Mavericks. But that’s not about that now.
The spot got its name back in 1967, when three surfer friends came to surf the unnamed spot. There was a dog with them - German shepherd named Maverick, who loved to swim next to the guys. Leaving the dog on the shore, they swam by boat to the line-up, but the dog still went after them. The boat had to be turned around in order to tie Maverick more tightly - the weather had deteriorated greatly and it was unsafe for the dog to be in the water. In terms of riding, that day was not successful: the guys were surfing close to the shore, and the giant waves rising far in the ocean seemed very dangerous to them. Returning to shore, they decided to name the place after the dog, who was much luckier that day.
2. Since then small town Half Moon Bay Southern California has become a Mecca for surfers who don’t know life without deadly waves. But not for everyone. For many years The spot was a great secret, jealously guarded only by a select few. And all the rumors about Mavericks looked more like crazy nonsense. Only in the 90s, thanks to Surfer Magazine, the spot received wide publicity and became a magnet for everyone who wanted to watch and ride the rogue waves.
3. These waves acquire such power due to the unique bottom topography: at a distance of about one and a half kilometers from the shore, the reef has depressions that, like a pump, pump up the wave with an additional volume of water coming from other deep-sea reefs. But this is just a meeting good friend on the threshold": the waves themselves are formed long before approaching the shores of California. Mavericks in their pristine state are echoes of storms in nearby areas of the North Pacific Ocean. Covering a distance of 320 km ( ideal option), the waves move south, driven west wind. Another important component for a large Maverick is the period with which swell waves arrive at the reefs, this period should exceed 16 seconds. When all the factors come together, a huge 25-meter wall rises in front of you.
Nazare, Portugal
4. Who would have thought that an ordinary fishing village would instantly become a surfing center of attraction? And all thanks to the recently opened spot of the same name with truly terrifying waves.
As with the Mavericks, the deep Nazaré Canyon (Canhão da Nazaré) plays into the hands of surfers. This is the largest underwater gorge in Europe, stretching along the coast for 170 km. In some places, the width of the Nazaré Canyon reaches 5 km, and the depth is about 300 m.
5. Find a surfer
6. Nazaré waves “feed” strong storms Atlantic, whose swells are moving towards Europe. The canyon, like an arrow pointing straight to Praia do Norte beach, increases the power of the wave, and sharp drop The depth between the gorge and the reef allows the waves to grow in height, reaching 30 m, and sometimes more. There are plenty of madmen who have conquered such giants.
7. Take, for example, the Guinness record holder, American Garrett McNamara, who rode a wave 23.7 meters high in 2011. And just two years later he increased his success by conquering a 30-meter giant in the same Nazaré. The deadly St. Jude storm helped Brazilian Carlos Burla beat McNamara by 1.5 meters. By the way, Burle’s girlfriend - big wave surfer Maya Gabeira - almost said goodbye to her life after falling from giant wave in Nazar.
Garrett McNamara catches Nazaré's monster
Jaws, Hawaii
8. The Hawaiian spot Jaws (“Jaws”) on the northern coast of the island of Maui is happy to open its mouth for everyone from November to March. This name was given to it by local surfers in 1975 in honor of Steven Spielberg’s just-released blockbuster of the same name. The waves that arise here are really similar to the unpredictable behavior of a shark: suddenly a quite friendly wave can turn into an 18-meter monster.
9. “Jaws” arrives thanks to the storms of the big-wave entertainment-rich Pacific Ocean. These high, fast and powerful waves attract town-in-surfers, i.e. those who get caught on a wave by being towed on a jet ski. By the way, this method was invented precisely at the Jaws spot in the 1980s.
10. “Jaws” appears due to an underwater ridge that appeared as a result of a volcanic eruption. The ridge slows down sharply fast movement swell, driven by sharp gusts of wind, and the reef, concentrating this entire mass, collapses it into certain place. In the same place where the XXL Big Wave Awards will be held on May 1.
"Jaws": a surfer for mom, a surfer for dad...
Teahupoo, Tahiti
11. The Teahupu spot (or rather, the name is pronounced “Chopu” in the local dialect) is located in the southwest of the main island of French Polynesia - Tahiti in Pacific Ocean. Translated, the name sounds like “tear off the head” and it fully justifies itself. Of course, it appeared as a result of the bloody inter-tribal wars that happened in these parts hundreds of years ago. But these days it does not lose its relevance. And all because gigantic heavy waves rise 500 meters from the shore and crash onto reefs slightly covered by shallows, sharp as a thousand knives. This is due to the strong southwest swell carrying the left wave, and the unique semicircular “jagged” relief of the reef, sloping steeply down, allows it to show itself in all its treacherous, ponderous glory. It seems that giants simply grow out of nowhere.
Rhys Wartenberg, surfer, traveler: “When I climbed out of the water after my first brutal “kiss” with the reef in Chopu (on my thigh), one of the surfers warming up on the shore said that I was lucky not to grab this beauty with my face. And then I realized: yes, damn it, I really am the lucky one!”
Chopu is included in Transworld Surf magazine's "Top 10 Deadly Waves" list. The full power of the “daredevil” was experienced by surfer Bruce Taerea in 2000. Failed attempt A duck dive into a 4-meter wave ended in death for the professional athlete: a powerful wave pushed the athlete out, throwing him onto the reef. From a broken neck and spine, Bruce fell into a coma and then died in the hospital.
Gave Chop
Pipeline, Hawaii
12. What can we say, Hawaii - historical homeland surfing, attracting riders of all levels and ages to its waves. But big wave hunters have a specific point here - the Pipeline spot on the shore of the island of Oahu, or rather, on Banzai Beach. In winter, huge (up to 10 meters) pipes stand here, which, when closed in shallow water, add another 10 points to the danger level.
13. It is noteworthy that, depending on the size of the incoming swell, the wave on the Pipeline breaks into several peaks, the most traveled of which is First Reef. This is logical, because the reef, extending into the ocean, is divided into three parts by depressions, giving the incoming waves additional power. Encountering shallow water, this whole huge mass collapses, creating a perfect, but damn dangerous pipe.
By the way, about pipes. The Pipeline spot got its name, surprisingly, not because of the characteristics of the waves. It was 1961 when director Bruce Brown decided to film some guys on anonymous waves for his surfer film In Search of Summer. And very nearby there was work going on to lay underground communications in the ocean. So Brown christened the place - “The Pipeline” - very unromantically.
14. Since the 1970s, The Billabong Pipeline Masters competition has been held here annually, where the strongest athletes fight the elements for a prize of $425,000. But everything is not so rosy: since 2000, six deaths of professional surfers and photographers have been recorded here.
Of course, these are not the only places on earth where you can come face to face with huge waves. But to learn, and most importantly, to understand them all, you need to make a lot of effort. Not only physical, but also mental. After all, big wave surfing is a deadly undertaking. And for those who still dream of riding, for example, Mavericks, we have come up with the motto: “Explore. Go for a ride. Rule."
Brewing company Kona was founded by father and son Cameron Healy and Spoon Khalsa. In the city of Kailua-Kona on Hawaiian Islands they have realized their dream of high-quality, local craft beer that is made with the environment in mind. On February 14, 1995, the family business presented its first beers, “Big Wave” and “Fire Rock,” to the public. Three years later successful activities A new variety, "Longboard" Island Lager, appeared, after which about 10 more varieties were released onto the market.
Kona's company grew rapidly, opening pubs in Hawaii and selling its beer to 50 US states and 26 countries. The first pub was opened on Big Island, V hometown Kailua-Kona Brewers. It was distinguished not only by the quality of beer, but also by its unusual decor. Drinks were served on a huge mahogany tree trunk that had washed up on the shores of Kailua Bay. Materials from an old local distillery were used to decorate the pub's façade. The menu featured special rolled pizzas, organic salads made with Hawaiian vegetables and fruits, and of course, live beer from Kona. In December 2003, the Kona restaurant was opened on the island of Oahu. Situated on the pier of Coco Marina Bay, it offers visitors a unique view of mountain range Ko'olau. The restaurant's menu is tailored specifically to the taste of the company's beer range.
Now Kona produces 12 thousand barrels of beer annually. It has branches in Oregon, Washington, Tennessee and New Hampshire. Kona's recipes are selected by its head brewer, who oversees production at all of the company's breweries. It carefully monitors the level of mineralization of the water, which is adjusted to a standard taken from springs in Hawaii. Beer brewed on the US mainland uses Kona's original yeast, hops and malt. The brewery highlights significant funds on guard environment and carefully monitors the minimization of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.