Structure of liquid Na-Sn alloys

Neutron diffraction measurements of liquid Na-Sn alloys provide evidence for appreciable ordering in the liquid. At small Sn concentrations (about 20 at.%) the liquid is similar to a simple ionic mixture with maximum distance between the negatively charged Sn atoms. At higher Sn concentrations, the Sn atoms tend to form aggregates, perhaps in the form of tetrahedra of covalently bonded Sn atoms. Elements of the solid structure seem to be preserved in the liquid state.