The Diffraction of X-Rays by Liquid Alloys of Sodium and Potassium

Abstract

Monochromatic x-ray diffraction patterns were taken of liquid alloys of sodium and potassium of seven different compositions at 115°C. Contrary to previous results, the present work does not show in a plot of position of main peak vs composition an inflection which had been taken as evidence for the existence of Na2K molecules in the liquid. Fourier analyses made for five of the alloys gave distribution curves which prove that there are no compact molecules in these liquid alloys, though they do not rule out the possibility that there may be weakly associated groups of atoms.