Thermodynamics of liquid alloys

Abstract

The experimental methods (calorimetric measurements, measurements of vapor pressure and electromotive forces) to obtain reliable thermodynamic data of liquid alloys at constant pressure as a function of composition and temperature are briefly reviewed. The main objective of the experimental work is the direct and most accurate determination of the partial or integral values of the enthalpy and Gibbs energy of formation as well as the measurement of the heat capacity. A consistent set of macroscopic thermodynamic data is important, e.g. to test the potential of a thermodynamic model of liquid alloys to describe quantitatively the experimentally determined composition and temperature dependencies, to test the extrapolation of thermodynamic properties into regions of temperature and composition where direct experimental measurements do not exist and to examine the microscopic assumptions of a thermodynamic model. A semi-empirical approach to calculate thermodynamic properties of liquid alloys could be used if experimental data are not accessible.