Electrical Resistivity of Undercooled Liquid Cu-Ni Alloys

Measured values for the electrical resistivity of undercooled liquid Cu-Ni alloys of different compositions are preseInted. The experiments were performed in a facility that combines the containerless positioning method of electromagnetic levitation with the contactless inductive resistivity measurement technique. For high nickel concentrations, i.e., for the liquid Cu20Ni80 and Cu40Ni60 alloys, the electrical resistivity shows, as well as for pure nickel and pure copper, the typical linear temperature dependence in the whole range from above to below the liquidus temperature. A significant deviation from the linear behavior occurs for liquid Cu60Ni40 and, less distinct, also for liquid Cu80Ni20 . This is explained by a formation of nickel associates in the melt that influence the scattering cross section of the conduction electrons.