Structure Evolution of Au50Cu50 Alloy from Melt to the Disordered Solid Solution

Abstract

The liquid local structure of Au50Cu50 solid solution was detected by high-temperature X-ray diffraction experiment and Reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) simulation. The clusters in the liquid Au50Cu50 alloy comprise the 12-coordinated polyhedron with Au center, which was the same as the clusters in the liquid pure Au. In the case of alloying, there was a high population of Au-Au bonds, and the local structure around Cu atoms was changed. In the case of solidification, the 12-coordinated clusters around Au atoms were preserved into the AuCu alloy, forming the disordered solid solution structure. The strong tendency for Cu-Cu bonds was weakened from 2.35 Å in the liquid to 2.81 Å in the solid solution, and the local structure around Cu atoms rearranges. It is shown that the liquid structure of the Au50Cu50 alloy plays a crucial role in the solid solution. Our findings elucidate that the disordered solid solution structure in AuCu alloy stems from the highly dominated 12-coordinated clusters associated with centered Au atom in the melt.