Density and Surface Tension of Liquid Rare Earth Metals, Scandium, and Yttrium

For the first time a systematic study of the surface tension and density of liquid RE metals, Sc, and Y is performed in a wide temperature range. The phenomenon of fluidity of light R E metals is experimentally observed a t a temperature corresponding to the high-temperature polymorphic transition into the b.c.c.-phase. Using the data obtained, the properties under investigation are found to have a double periodic dependence in the RE series. It is shown that the lanthanide compression effect is reflected in the character of density and surface tension changes for liquid R E metals. Using the relationship between 4 and Tm/V2/3, it is shown that all the metals studied may be divided into three groups in accordance with their electronic structure.