Density and Viscosity of ternary Al-Cu-Si liquid alloys

Abstract

Densities and viscosities of ternary Al–Cu–Si liquid alloys have been investigated over a wide temperature and composition range. Density was measured using electromagnetic levitation as a container-less technique, while viscosity was measured by means of a high-temperature oscillating cup viscometer. In this ternary system, binary interaction parameters as well as a third (ternary) interaction parameter need to be taken into account for the excess volume to describe the liquid densities. The temperature dependences of the viscosities are well described by the Arrhenius law. A maximum of the activation energy of viscous flow is found in that compositional range in which intermetallic phases exist in the solid state.