Thermal conductivity of the Cs-Pb system liquid alloys

ABSTRACT

Thermal conductivity of liquid alloys of the caesium-lead system with a Pb content of 40, 50, 60, and 66.7 at. % is measured by the laser flash method in the temperature range from the liquidus line to 1173 K with an error of 4–6%. It is found that the thermal conductivity of the investigated alloys, obtained by mixing liquid metals Cs and Pb, drops by an order of magnitude to values: 0.5–4.0 W/(m K), characteristic of molten salts. It is shown that the thermal conductivity concentration dependence of the Cs-Pb system liquid alloys has a broad minimum near the equiatomic composition. An analysis of the obtained experimental data indicates the formation of a chemical short-range order in the liquid Cs-Pb system in the vicinity of the equiatomic composition, which indirectly confirms the existing ideas about the presence of Zintl complexes Cs₄Pb₄ in these melts.

KEYWORDS:

• Caesium–lead system
• liquid alloys
• thermal conductivity
• thermal diffusivity
• Lorenz number
• Zintl ions

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. since Sn and Pb elements are belong the same group of the periodic table, in the liquid alkali metal-Sn alloys Zintl ions of the same configuration are considered as in the liquid alkali metal-Pb alloys.

Additional information

Funding

The study was carried out under the state contract with IT SB RAS No. 121031800219-2.