Models for metallic solution-liquids

The formulation of liquid state models has become one of the important studies in metallurgical research to get empirical expressions for thermodynamic properties. Although no absolutely convincing model of the liquid state is yet available the results of x-ray, electron neutron diffraction experiments and the radial distribution functions have proved that the structure of liquids can be conceived as a close neighbour to the solid state. In this report it has been attempted to bring together the available information to emphasise that near-solid associations are prevalent in the liquid state. The salient features of ideal, regular, sub-regular and associated sub regular solution models are also described with their inconsistencies. Bernal's concept of liquids as a network of holes or voronoi polyhedra has also been included in the present review. (Shri C.S. Sivaramakrishnan and Dr. R. Kumar, Scientists, National Metallurgical Laboratory)