Ultrasound velocity in dissolving alkali halide melts

Abstract

Ultrasound velocities in the molten exsolving mixtures (LiF + CsCl, LiF + KBr, LiF + RbBr, LiF + CsBr, LiF + KI, LiF + RbBr, and LiF + CsBr) were obtained along the saturation line over a wide temperature range using the acoustic method. The temperature dependences of properties far away from the critical temperature are close to linear and the temperature and composition factors are highly correlated. The difference between the magnitudes of sound velocity for the coexisting phases increases with the radii of ions in the mixtures. The linearity of the temperature dependence of the velocity, which is typical for all systems at relatively low temperatures, is violated when approaching the critical point of mixing, mainly due to sharp changes of the light phase state. Our results suggested a classical (mean-field) critical behavior of ionic melts.