X-ray Diffraction Study of Molten Te and Tl-Te Alloys

Abstract

Abstract X-ray diffraction patterns have been obtained from molten Te at 470, 520 and 570 °C. The heights of the peak maxima in the structure factor were much the same in contrast with those of typical molten metals such as sodium. Molten Tl-Te alloys have been studied by X-ray diffraction for the alloy compositions 25, 33.3, 50, 60 and 75 at% Te at 500 °C and at about 20 °C above the liquidus. The total structure factors for the 25 and 33.3 at% Te alloys were almost the same as that of pure Tl. This implies that the atomic arrangement of these molten alloys is very close to that of pure Tl. Although a drastic change is not found in the general form of the structure factor, the parameter of the range of local atomic order abruptly increases on passing from Tl2Te to more Te-rich alloys. The three partial structures were also evaluated from the observed X-ray intensities assuming that each partial structure is independent of the relative abundance of the constituent elements in the alloys.