Surface tension of liquid Ti with adsorbed oxygen and a simple associate model for its prediction

Abstract

Surface tensions of electromagnetically levitated liquid Ti-samples were measured under the influence of oxygen. For this purpose, Ti-O samples were prepared by adding different amounts of TiO 2 powder to pure Ti. The surface tension was found to strongly depend on the bulk oxygen mole fraction determined by chemical analysis. The results could be described by a simple model presented in the pres- ent work. In this model the Butler equation is applied and the formation of TiO2 - associates are taken into account. Non-ideal interactions between titanium and the associates also need to be taken into account. Good agreement with the experimental data is evident and also with a dif- ferent model developed earlier by us.