Size Effect and Surface Tension at the Crystal–Melt Interface in the Formation of Alloys from Nanoparticles of Dissimilar Metals

By averaging the sizes of metal nanoparticles capable of merging at different concentrations of elements in the alloy, the size dependence of ultrafine particles on the melting point of the corresponding bulk elements was determined: d_Me = 2R_Me = 1.46 − 7.3 × 10⁻⁵T₀. It was found that the particle size is the predominant factor in the formation of alloys from nanosized particles at low temperatures, regardless of their physical properties and crystal structure. Based on the Thomson equation and the average sizes of metal nanoparticles, the values of interfacial tension at the crystal–melt interface for like metals were derived and found to satisfactorily follow a linear dependence. An approximate calculation of the interfacial tension for nanoparticles of like elements in the range of (100 − d_Me) nm revealed no dependence on cluster size in this range. The study of size-dependent properties of dissimilar nanoparticles during the formation of solid solutions requires separate investigation. The obtained results can be used to produce new alloys from other elements not considered in this study.