Structure of isomorphous liquid Ag–Au alloys

Abstract Liquid structure features of isomorphous Ag–Au alloys were investigated using an X-ray diffractometer. The mean nearest neighbor distance r1 of Ag–Au melts at the same temperature remains stable at different compositions. For the eutectic melts under discussion, r1 takes on a linear relationship with element component, and the slope of r1 versus composition depends on the atomic size ratio. In addition, r1 of both Ag–Au and Cu–Ni isomorphous melts stays stable with decreasing temperature above liquidus. Compared to these isomorphous alloys, the temperature-dependent r1 of eutectic melts obviously exhibits. The structural differences of melts between isomorphous and eutectic alloy systems, as well as the correlation between liquid structure and the corresponding solid state were investigated. Finally, Gaussian decomposition was performed to get a better understanding of the liquid structures of Ag–Au alloys.