On the pressure dependence of the melting temperature and the monovacancy formation energy in transition metals

Abstract

We demonstrate that the wide range of magnitudes observed for the slopes of the melting curves at zero pressure for some transition metals with incomplete d-shells are consistent with their elastic moduli data. The near-zero slopes observed for W and Mo are not anomalous as has been suggested recently. We propose an empirical non-linear relationship between the slope and the compressibility. By examining a model for the vacancy formation energy in these metals, we show that the slopes can also be related to the slopes of the melting curves.

Acknowledgements

One of us (NHM) thanks the University of Antwerp (RUCA) for its support in the framework of the Visiting Professors Programme. This work is also supported by the Concerted Action Programme of the University of Antwerp.