Experimental investigation of the Nd–Al–Si system: The isothermal section at 500 °C

• Published in: Journal of thermal analysis and calorimetry 2011, Vol.103 (1), p.103-109
• Main Authors: Cardinale, Anna Maria, Macciò, Daniele, Delfino, Stefano, Saccone, Adriana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Aluminum alloys; Analysis; Analytical Chemistry; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Diffraction; Exact sciences and technology; Inorganic Chemistry; Intermetallic compounds; Materials science; Measurement Science and Instrumentation; Phase diagrams and microstructures developed by solidification and solid-solid phase transformations; Phase diagrams of metals and alloys; Physical Chemistry; Physics; Polymer Sciences; X-rays
• ISSN: 1388-6150; 1588-2926; 1572-8943
• DOI: 10.1007/s10973-010-1112-2

The isothermal section of the Nd–Al–Si ternary system at 500 °C has been investigated using differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy and electron micro-probe analysis. Four ternary intermetallic compounds were confirmed: NdAl 2 Si 2 (τ 1 ), hP5-CaLa 2 O 2 structure type, Nd 2 Al 3 Si (τ 2 ), hP3-AlB 2 structure type, NdAl 1− x Si 1+ x , 0.25 ≤  x  ≤ 0.3 (τ 3 ), tI12-αThSi 2 structure type and Nd 2 Al 1− x Si 1+ x , 0 ≤  x  ≤ 0.2, (τ 5 ), oS8-CrB structure type. A new ternary intermetallic phase (τ 4 ) was found: Nd 4 Al 3 Si 3 , orthorhombic oS20, isotypic with Pr 4 Al 3 Ge 3 .