Critical points of metals of three main groups and selected transition metals

The liquid–gas critical points of metals of the first three main groups and those of selected transition metals have been estimated by scaling with the ionization potential and valence. The critical density is shown to be attached to the percolation threshold of the classically accessible spheres. Corrections to the classically accessible radius are made allowing for deviation from the Coulomb potential. The scaling laws follow from a van der Waals-like equation of states of overlapping virtual atoms with partially free valence electrons. The attraction of virtual atoms is represented by a renormalized Madelung energy with corrections due to finite numbers of neighboring atoms and screening electrons in atomic cells. With given corrections, a set of the critical parameters of metals obtained by scaling becomes more reliable than any semi-empirical estimates which neglect the electron structure.