Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2011
Total energy calculations for Ni-rich ß′-phase NiAl have been performed using the large system multiple scattering (LSMS) method. The large samples used to model the alloys involved up to 128 atoms per cell, and were constructed to have the experimental short range order (SRO) parameters. Both short range ordering and charge transfer effects are automatically taken into account in the calculation. The calculated formation energies of both stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric compounds are in excellent agreement with experiment.