The amorphous phases of the Pd-Cu-P system has been obtainedusing the technique of rapidly quenching from the liquid state.Broad maxima in the diffraction pattern were obtained in the X-raydiffraction studies which are indicative of a glass-like structure.The composition range over which the amorphous solid phase is retainedfor the Pd-Cu-P system is (Pd100-xCux)80P20 with 10 ≤ x ≤ 50 and(Pd65Cu35)100-yPy with 15 ≤ y ≤ 24 and (Pd60Cu40)100-yPy with15 ≤ y ≤ 24.
The electrical resistivity for the Pd-Cu-P alloys decreases withtemperature as T2 at low temperatures and as T at high temperaturesup to the crystallization temperature. The structural scatteringmodel of the resistivity proposed by Sinha and the spin-fluctuationresistivity model proposed by Hasegawa are re-examined in the lightof the similarity of this result to the Pt-Ni-P and Pd-Ni-P systems.Objections are raised to these interpretations of the resistivity results and an alternate model is proposed consistent with the newresults on Pd-Cu-P and the observation of similar effects in crystallinetransition metal alloys. The observed negative temperaturecoefficients of resistivity in these amorphous alloys are thus interpretedas being due to the modification of the density of states withtemperature through the electron-phonon interaction. The weak Pauliparamagnetism of the Pd-Cu-P, Pt-Ni-P and Pd-Ni-P alloys is interpretedas being modifications of the transition d-states as a result of theformation of strong transition metal-metalloid bonds rather than alarge transfer of electrons from the glass former atoms (P in thiscase) to the d-band of the transition metal in a rigid band picture.
