ANALYSIS OF ATOMIC DIFFUSION IN LIQUID-METALS AT MELTING TEMPERATURES IN CAPILLARY-LIKE MEDIA

This is the second of two articles dealing with atomic transport in liquid metals in capillary-like media such as fine pores or grain boundaries with thicknesses above some critical value. Our previous studies analyzed the relationship between diffusivity and viscosity of liquid metals in capillary [J. W. Nowok, Scripta metall. mater. 29, 931 (1993)]. A primary purpose of this article is to discuss an accuracy of calculating self-diffusion coefficients using known bulk properties of liquid metals such as viscosity, surface tension data fundamental physical properties of liquid behavior in capillary. The lack of accuracy of surface tension data causes errors in the calculation of diffusion coefficients. Also, the predominant influence on D appears to be the molar (molecular) volume of liquid metals. This results from changes in the attractive portion of the effective potential between atoms for liquids with low molecular volumes.