The Zr-Sn binary system: New experimental results and thermodynamic assessment

The Zr-Sn binary system has been reinvestigated by several experimental techniques: X-ray diffraction, electron probe micro-analysis, mass density and calorimetry measurements. The existence of a miscibility gap inside the homogeneity domain of the eta phase (Zr5Sn3-Zr5Sn4) has been confirmed. It has been also shown that Zr substitution on the Sn sublattice is responsible for the non-stoichiometry of the A15 phase (Zr4Sn). The temperature of the peritectoid reaction beta(Zr)+A15 <-> alpha(Zr) has been determined to be at 1216 K that is 40 degrees below the temperature reported in the literature. All these new experimental data have been taken into account for a new thermodynamic assessment of this system. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd