Experimental determination of critical data of liquid molybdenum

Abstract

The submicrosecond resistive pulse heating of wire-shaped metallic samples in a highly incompressible medium leads to a thermodynamic state very close to the critical point of the liquid metal. The additional application of a static pressure may result in a critical or supercritical transition. First results on the critical data of molybdenum are reported: Tc=(11150+or-550)K, pc=(5460+or-1160) bar, nu c=(36.5+or-3.5) cm3 mol-1.