Composition dependence of thermophysical properties for liquid Zr-V alloys determined at electrostatic levitation state

The thermophysical properties of liquid Zr-V alloys covering a whole composition range were systematically measured by an electrostatic levitation technique. A series of maximum undercoolings from 150 to 386 K (0.2 TL) was achieved for 11 different liquid alloys under containerless state and radiative cooling conditions, where Zr83.5V16.5 and Zr20V80 alloys displayed the strongest undercooling ability. The densities of liquid Zr-V alloys were measured over a wide temperature range from overheated to undercooled states, and the results exhibited a linear dependence on temperature for all 11 compositions. Two typical solidification pathways were observed for hypoeutectic alloys. Except for a slowing down of decreasing tendency near a eutectic Zr57V43 alloy, the liquid densities of Zr-V alloys almost decrease linearly with increasing V content. Accordingly, the thermal expansion coefficients of Zr-V alloys were also derived from containerless measurements, and they showed an increasing tendency with V content. Since thermal radiative dominated the heat transfer process, the ratio of isobaric specific heat to hemispherical emissivity was directly deduced from the thermal balance equation, leading to a quadratic relationship with temperature. It was found that the increase of V content enhanced the ability of radiative heat dissipation below 16.5 at. % V content.