Experimental Evidence of Clusters in Molten Alloys of the Eutectic Aluminum-Tin System by Means of a X-Ray-high Temperature-small Angle Scattering Apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring X-Ray small- and wide angle scattering of solid materials and especially of molten metals with temperatures up to 1100 °C is described. Alloys of the eutectic system Al -Sn with tin-contents up to 30 At.-% are investigated. The influence of surface oxide layers on the scattered intensity is discussed. Correlation functions as well as the Guinier approximation yielded inhomogeneities with mean diameters up to 10 Å in the investigated melts. Therefore the dimensions of these so-called short range segregation zones correspond to those of the first coordination sphere