Volume and surface properties of nickel melts containing bismuth impurity determined from the density and the surface tension

Abstract

The physicochemical and the structural properties of the nickel-based melts with a low (impurity) bismuth content, which, like lead, is one the most harmful impurities in cast high-temperature nickel-based superalloys, are studied using the surface tension and the density. It is found that the surface tension increases as the bismuth impurity content varies from zero to 0.05 wt %, which corresponds to transition of excess substance from the surface into the volume.