The electrical resistivity of liquid tin-gold alloys

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Abstract
The electrical resistivities of pure liquid tin and of liquid tin-gold alloys ranging in composition from 5 to 84 at. % Au have been measured as a function of temperature within the range 235–910°C using the d.c. four-point probe capillary technique; the overall error of the measurements was estimated to be less than ±0·25%. The temperature coefficient of resistivity increases progressively with increasing temperature for gold contents greater than 10 at. % and, for alloys containing between 63 and 80 at. % Au, the temperature coefficient is negative at lower temperatures. No evidence was found for irregularities which were indicated at certain compositions by previous measurements using the a.c. rotating-field technique. The maximum in the resistivity composition isotherms lies between 72 and 75 at. % Au, depending on the temperature. Fairly good agreement is obtained between the experimental results and those predicted from the theory of Faber and Ziman using published structure data for this system and the simplified pseudo-potential form factors of Ashcroft. The relations between the electrical and thermodynamic properties of this system are briefly discussed.