The experimental determination of the thermoelectric power in liquid metals and alloys

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Abstract
The thermoelectric power in the liquid state has been measured as a function of temperature for ten pure metals (Na, K, Rb, Cd, Hg, In, Ga, Sn, Pb, Bi) with valences from one to five and melting points below 500°C, and nine sodium–potassium and rubidium–potassium alloys. Use was made of a recently established absolute thermoelectric scale which is more reliable than previous ones. The theoretical aspects of the results for the pure metals are described briefly in terms of electron scattering by pseudo-potentials and density fluctuations in the liquid. A more detailed discussion has been given elsewhere. For the alloy results an interpretation based on similar theories is given here. The scattering mechanism of impurities depends on their size and pseudo-potentials. It is concluded that the size effect dominates in Na–K alloys, and that both are significant in Rb–K alloys.