Thermodynamic and thermophysical properties of Cu-Si liquid alloys

The Cu-Si system is of primary interest for many industrial applications, especially for waste applications. Due to eutectic reactions and the congruent melting of intermetallic phases, these binary alloys exhibit specific behaviors as a function of temperature and composition. A complete investigation of the thermodynamic and thermophysical properties of such liquid metals that may form is required to optimize such a process at the industrial scale. To better predict the thermophysical properties of these metallic alloys, measurements of the surface tension are carried out for bulk mole fractions of up to 32%at Si. These experiments were conducted by means of the oscillating drop technique using the electromagnetic levitation method [1]. To better predict the thermodynamics of such liquids during the experiments, these tests were complemented by chemical activity calculations using the Calphad method. The experimental results obtained from the electromagnetic technique are compared and discussed taking into consideration the Egry model [2], the most suitable one in case of formation of high-temperature intermetallic compounds.