Temperature dependence of the elastic constants of aluminum

The single crystal elastic constants of aluminum have been measured using a piezoelectric composite oscillator from room temperature to just 20 K below the melting point. The elastic moduli differ markedly from previous high temperature results, but match in well with previous cryogenic results. Over the temperature range investigated the isothermal bulk modulus and the two shear moduli have a simple exponential dependence on isobaric volume, and the cryogenic data indicate this dependence may be preserved down to absolute zero. As has been found previously for a wide range of materials, the isothermal bulk modulus and the shear modulus $\text{(c}{}_{11}\text{– c}{}_{12}\text{)}\text{2}$ appear to be continuous functions of volume through the melting expansion, and melting seems to find its origin in the mechanical instability associated with this shear modulus vanishing at the volume of the melt at the freezing point. Grüneisen's parameter divided by the molar volume is very nearly independent of isobaric volume.