High-temperature liquid-liquid structure transition in liquid Sn-Bi alloys: Experimental evidence by electrical resistivity method

The electrical resistivity of liquid Sn-Bi alloys has been investigated as a function of temperature by the DC four-probe technique. Obvious turning point is observed on resistivity-temperature (rho-T) curve of different Sn-Bi alloy, while the resistivity increases linearly with temperature increasing before the turning point. Moreover, different composition alloy shows different turning temperature on rho-T curve. Since resistivity is one of the physical properties sensitive to structure, its discontinuous alteration with temperature reveals the liquid-liquid structure transition in the Sn-Bi melts. Furthermore, comparing the heating rho-T curve with the cooling one of the eutectic alloy Sn43Bi57, it is found that the possible structure transition is irreversible. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.