Surface tension and its temperature coefficient of liquid Sn-X (X=Ag, Cu) alloys

The surface tension of liquid Sn-X (X=Ag, Cu) alloys was measured by the constrained drop method in the temperatures between 700 and 1500 K across whole composition range. Surface tension of the alloys increased with the content of Ag and Cu, and the temperature coefficient of the surface tension (dsigma/dT) had both positive and negative values. Experimental results were compared with the calculated results based on Butler's model. The calculated results reasonably accorded with the measurements. The effect of thermo-physical parameters on the surface tension and the temperature coefficient were examined using the model. It was found that the temperature coefficient increases as the difference in the surface tension of component metals or the excess free energy increases in the high composition range of the component metal having higher surface tension, because of the surface enhancement of the other component metal.