Bulk and surface properties of liquid Al-Mg, Au-Sn, and Mg-Tl compound forming alloys

We have used phenomenological models based on statistical mechanics to study the bulk and surface properties of Au-Sn, Al-Mg, and Mg-Tl binary liquid alloys. Our study reveals that the three alloys are weakly ordered systems with the most stable intermetallic complexes at temperatures of 823 K, 1073 K and 923 K been AuSn, Al3Mg2 and Mg4Tl, respectively. An analysis of Warren Cowley short-range order parameter indicates that the weakest intermetallic compound is Al-Mg while Au-Sn is observed to be more chemically ordered than Mg-Tl. Furthermore, our surface properties calculations shows that Mg-atorn and Sn-atom segregate to the surface over the whole concentration range of Al-Mg and Au-Sn alloys, respectively. In Mg-Tl, there is a competing effect between Tl-atom being drawn into the bulk and at the same time Tl-atom wanting to segregate to the surface over the whole concentration range. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.