Structure and properties of liquid iron

This work studies models of liquid iron`s structure. It has been assumed that the melt structure is formed by the cluster zone and inter-cluster distance, which have the form of slits with a width of not more than 0.1 nm. According to their properties, the slits are the elements of the physical space - the vacuum, like vacancies in solid metals. With rising temperature of liquid iron, the radii of the clusters decrease, and their number increases, the area of a single inter-cluster discontinuity decreases, while the total area and volume of inter-cluster distance increase. Division of inter-cluster discontinuities can occur during heating of the melt, and while cooling, unification up to the formation of porosity can occur. The clusters are active, their entire open surface is covered with activated atoms, which have at least one free bond emerging during the formation of a slit. With increasing temperature, the number of activated atoms increases. Carrying out thermal vibrations, the clusters constantly interact with each other through activated atoms and form a clusters community in the entire fluid volume. The size and number of the clusters, as well as the characteristics of inter-cluster distance adequately reflect the change in kinematic and dynamic viscosity, density and surface tension according to the temperature. The experimentally observed increase of liquid iron`s electrical resistance when heated is apparently not linked to changes in the melt structure at the atomic level, but to the quantity reduction of conduction electrons. The latter is explained by the increase in the number of electrons participating in the strengthening of interatomic bonds and ensuring the stability of the clusters during their refinement when the temperature rises. The use of various existing models of the metallic liquids` structure allows expanding the possibilities of discussing the ideas about the structure and properties of the studied object, as well as revealing its essential characteristics.