Number 140 (Story #4), August 13, 1993 by Phillip F. Schewe and Ben Stein BUCKYBALLS MIGHT HAVE A LIQUID PHASE , but it probably wouldn't occur below a temperature of 1800 K, at which the C-60 molecules are probably unstable (Ailan Cheng et al., Physical Review Letters, Aug. 23). Michael Klein of the University of Pennsylvania (215-748- 7819) has performed computer simulations of buckyballs at high temperatures in an effort to stake out the domain for the solid, liquid, and gas states in a pressure-versus-temperature phase diagram. Fullerenes in liquid form could be more easily purified than the other phases; unfortunately, the new simulations suggest that bucky liquids, even if they exist, may be impractical to achieve or maintain.