Local Order in Liquid Gallium–Indium Alloys
Alfred Amon, Philip A. Chater, G. Vaughan, Rachael L. Smith, Christoph G. Salzmann
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Liquid metals such as eutectic Ga–In alloys have low melting points and low toxicity and are used in catalysis and micro-robotics. This study investigates the local atomic structure of liquid gallium-indium alloys by a combination of density measurements, diffraction data, and Monte-Carlo simulation via the empirical potential structure refinement approach. A high- Q shoulder observed in liquid Ga is related to structural rearrangements in the second coordination shell. Structure analysis found coordination environments close to a random distribution for eutectic Ga–In alloy, while electronic effects appear to dominate the mixing enthalpy.