A STUDY OF SOME ALPHAPALLADIUM-SCANDIUM, -ZIRCONIUM AND -GADOLINIUM ALLOYS

The room-temperature lattice spacings of some αPd-Sc, αPd-Zr and αPd-Gd alloys, and the room-temperature magnetic susceptibilities of some αPd-Sc and (αPd-Zr alloys, have been measured. The lattice spacings indicate that zirconium expands the lattice of α-palladium to a greater extent than scandium, despite the fact that the atomic diameter of scandium exceeds that of zirconium. Gadolinium expands the lattice of α-palladium to a lesser extent than thorium, despite the closely similar atomic diameters of these metals. Initially, the room-temperature susceptibilities of the αPd-Sc and αPd-Zr alloys are in agreement with the simple, rigid band model, assuming effective valencies of 3.0 and 4.0 for scandium and zirconium, respectively. At later compositions, there are deviations from the behaviour expected from the simple, rigid band model. © 1969.