Thermophysical Properties of Liquid AlTi-Based Alloys

The surface tension and density of three liquid AlTi-based alloys (AlTiV, AlTiNb, and AlTiTa) have been measured using electromagnetic levitation as a tool for containerless processing. Surface tension has been determined by the oscillating-drop method, while the density was measured using a shadowgraph technique. Both quantities were determined over a wide temperature range, including the undercooled regime. In addition, sessile-drop and pendant-drop experiments to determine the surface tension were performed in a recently built high-temperature furnace. The measured data were compared to thermodynamic calculations using phenomenological models and the Butler equation. Generally, good agreement was found.