Experimental Investigation and Thermodynamic Description of the Cu-Zr System

The Cu-Zr binary system is re-investigated via experiment and thermodynamic modeling. Four alloys were prepared by arc melting in order to check the controversial phase equilibria reported in the literature. Both as-cast and annealed alloys were examined by optical microscopy, x-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis, and the phase transformation temperatures were measured by differential scanning calorimetry. The intermetallic compounds, Cu24Zr13, Cu2Zr and Cu5Zr8, were demonstrated to be not the stable phases. Based on the literature information and present experimental data, the Cu-Zr system was critically evaluated by means of CALculation of PHAse Diagram approach. A set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters was obtained, and the calculated phase diagram and thermodynamic properties are in a satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.