Surface tension and viscosity of undercooled liquid Zr–V alloys investigated by electrostatic levitation

Abstract

The surface tension and viscosity of liquid Zr100−xVx (x = 8.6, 16.5, 30, 43, 60, 70, 80) alloys were systematically determined using the droplet oscillation method through the electrostatic levitation technique. Under containerless and radiative cooling states, the liquid alloys achieved their maximum undercooling, ranging from 15 to 259 K. The surface tension and viscosity of each alloy were determined at different temperatures. The surface tension of Zr–V alloys showed a negative linear correlation with temperature. The viscosity of each Zr–V alloy exhibited an Arrhenius relationship with temperature, increasing with decreasing temperature. The viscosity of the Zr–V alloy at the liquidus temperature (TL) showed a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing with the increase in V content, with the Zr57V43 eutectic alloy exhibiting the highest viscosity of 22.05 mPa s. The activation energy for viscous flow in the Zr57V43 alloy reached a local maximum (5.78 × 104 J mol−1), indicating significant temperature sensitivity of viscosity. This research can provide a theoretical basis for the development and application of Zr–V alloys in the industrial field.