Surface tension of molten Al-Si alloy at temperatures ranging from 923 to 1123 K

The surface tension of molten AlSi20 alloy has been measured by using the sessile drop method at 923–1123 K under argon atmosphere in both heating-up and cooling processes. The result shows that the surface tension of this alloy decreases as long as temperature increases. The results of surface tension and contact angles in heating-up process have differences from those obtained in cooling process, because the metal microstructures have some changes at different temperatures based on the metal genetic theory. The surface tension of molten AlSi20 alloy and that of molten pure aluminum have been compared as well, and the temperature coefficient of AlSi20 alloy is slightly lower than that of Al. The result has been analyzed by the linear scanning analysis with ESEM. The concentration of silicon in most region of the bulk is lower than that of the surface and the addition of Si to pure Al decreases the surface tension of molten pure Al. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 50474043 and 50711140385)