Critical parameters of refractory metals

A method for calculating the critical point parameters of metals on the basis of a generalised van-der-Waals equation was worked out with data on the liquid phase density and the heats of vaporisation of these metals. The critical parameters of a series of refractory metals (titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, tungsten, rhenium, rhodium, iridium, platinum, uranium, thorium) were calculated. The reliability of the calculated results is verified by the agreement between the calculated values of the critical parameters and the corresponding experimental values for mercury, caesium, and rubidium. The calculated values of the critical temperature of refractory metals agree satisfactorily with values obtained on the basis of data from experiments of pulse heating of metals by an electric current.