The 773 K isothermal section of Er-Ni-Sb phase diagram

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0925-8388(02)00522-4

The isothermal section of the Er-Ni-Sb ternary system at 773 K has been investigated mainly by X-ray powder diffraction with the aid of differential thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The formation of the previously reported ErNiSb and Er<

Full text of DOI:10.1016/S0925-8388(02)00522-4

Journal of Alloys and Compounds 346 (2002) 197–199
L
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The 773 K isothermal section of Er–Ni–Sb phase diagram
*
Lingmin Zeng , Lizhen Tan
Institute of Materials Science, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 540003, PR China
Received 13 March 2002; received in revised form 9 April 2002; accepted 9 April 2002
Abstract
The isothermal section of the Er–Ni–Sb ternary system at 773 K has been investigated mainly by X-ray powder diffraction with the aid
of differential thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The formation of the previously reported ErNiSb and Er Ni Sb, was
5
2
confirmed. No new ternary compounds were observed.
2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Rare earth alloys; Transition metal alloys; Crystal structure; Phase diagram; X-ray diffraction
1
. Introduction
with 0–50 at.% of Sb content were prepared by arc melting
on a water-cooled copper crucible with a non-consumable
tungsten electrode under pure argon atmosphere. The
samples were re-melted three times in order to achieve
homogeneity. For the alloys containing antimony, an
electric current as low as possible was used to minimize
the weight losses by vaporization of Sb. Samples with
more than 50 at.% of Sb were prepared by induction
melting in a sintered Al O crucible under pure argon. All
alloys after melting were subjected to a homogenizing
anneal in evacuated quartz. Most of the samples, which are
near to the Er-rich and Ni-rich region, were annealed at
1223 K for 21 days; each sample with more than 50 at.%
Sb was annealed at 823 K for 30 days. Subsequently, the
samples were cooled to 773 K at a rate of 10 K/h and kept
at 773 K for 5 days, then quenched in an ice water
mixture.
Among the RE–Ni–Sb related ternary system (RE5rare
earth elements) only Ce–Ni–Sb system has been studied
1]. The Er–Ni–Sb ternary system has not been studied
[
over the full concentration region. Partial investigation
revealed the existence of ErNiSb, ErNi Sb , Er Ni Sb
and Er Ni Sb ternary compounds [2–5].
The three binary systems bounding the Er–Ni–Sb
system have been described in detail in the literature.
There are three intermediate phases in the Er–Sb system
2
2
42
16
42
5
2
2
3
[6]: Er Sb , ErSb and ErSb . Phase diagrams of the Er–Ni
5 3 2
and Ni–Sb binary systems are presented in [7]. Eleven
intermediate phases occur in the Er–Ni system: Er Ni,
Er Ni , ErNi, ErNi , ErNi , Er Ni , ErNi , Er Ni ,
Er Ni , ErNi and Er Ni . All these phases exist at fixed
compositions. There are five intermediate compounds:
Ni Sb, Ni Sb , Ni Sb , NiSb and NiSb in the Ni–Sb
system [7].
3
3
2
2
3
2
7
4
4
17
5
22
5
2
7
X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron micro-
scopy with energy dispersive analysis were used in the
present investigation. X-ray phase analyses were per-
formed on Rigaku 3015 X-ray diffractometer with Cu Ka
radiation and Ni filter operated at 40 kV and 30 mA.
3
5
2
7
3
2
2
. Experimental details
The present investigation was carried out with 167
samples having masses of about 3 g. The starting materials
used for sample preparation were erbium (99.8 wt.%)
nickel (99.999 wt.%) and antimony (99.9 wt.%). Samples
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Boundary binary systems
We have studied the binary systems Er–Ni, Ni–Sb and
Er–Sb at 773 K to identify binary compounds. In the
Er–Ni system we have obtained the following binary
*
Corresponding author. Tel.: 186-771-327-2311; fax: 186-771-323-
530.
E-mail address: lmzeng@gxu.edu.cn (L. Zeng).
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0
925-8388/02/$ – see front matter
 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
PII: S0925-8388(02)00522-4

1
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L. Zeng, L. Tan / Journal of Alloys and Compounds 346 (2002) 197–199
Fig. 1. The isothermal section of the Er–Ni–Sb system phase diagram at 773 K.
compounds: Er Ni, Er Ni , ErNi, ErNi , ErNi , Er Ni ,
tion data (PDF cards) for these three phases are available.
So in this work we use the results reported in Ref. [14].
In the Ni–Sb system at 773 K, four binary phases
3
3
2
2
3
2
7
ErNi and Er Ni . The existence of ErNi , Er Ni and
5
2
17
4
4
17
Er Ni has not been confirmed because no X-ray diffrac-
5
22
Table 1
Crystallographic data of initial components, binary and ternary compounds for the Er–Ni–Ti system
Phases
Space
group
Structure
type
Lattice parameters (nm)
Refs.
a
b
c
Er
Er Ni
Er Ni
ErNi
ErNi2
ErNi3
Er Ni
ErNi4
Er Ni
Er Ni
ErNi5
Er Ni
Ni
P6 /mmc
Mg
0.35553
0.68098(6)
0.8472
0.699
0.7127
0.4973
0.4909
0.4855
0.4869
0.4862
0.4854
0.828
0.35236
1.16915(5)
0.6106
0.3259
0.43084
0.3935
1.29458
0.53207
0.51823
0.62683
0.7531
0.55842
0.62433(9)
1.5680
[8]
This work
[9]
3
Pnma
]
CFe3
Er Ni
0.9435(2)
0.412
3
R3
3
2
7
3
2
Pnma
BFe
0.514
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
[22]
[22]
[22]
[15]
[16]
This work
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
[21]
[21]
[23]
[2]
]
Fd3m
]
Cu Mg
2
R3m
]
Be Nb
2.441
3.607
1.0231 b599.548
8.407
7.177
3
R3m
Er Co
2
2
7
C2/m
Ni Pu
0.8444
4
4
17
22
5
P6/mmm
CaCu5
Ni17Th2
Cu
0.3964
0.801
P6 /mmc
2
17
3
3
]
Fm3m
Er Sb
Pnma
Sb Y
0.91248(4)
0.5866
0.80190(4)
5
3
5
]
ErSb
ErSb2
Sb
NiSb
Ni Sb
Ni Sb
NiSb2
ErNiSb
Er Ni Sb
Fm3m
NaCl
HoSb2
As
C222
0.7926
1.1274
0.5136
1.14568 b5151.718
0.45147
]
R3m
P6 /mmc
AsNi
Ni Sb
3
C2
Pmmm
0.54271
0.42808
0.63168
5
2
5
2
Cu Ti
3
3
Pnnm
FeS2
AlLiSi
Mo B Si
0.38403
]
F43m
I4/mcm
1.3178
[5]
5
2
5
2

L. Zeng, L. Tan / Journal of Alloys and Compounds 346 (2002) 197–199
199
[
[
[
[
2] L. Zeng, J. Yan, X. Ou, W. He, Y. Zhuang, Trans. Nonferrous Met.
Soc. China 8 (1) (1998) 18–19.
3] W.K. Hofmann, W. Jeitschko, J. Less-common Metals 138 (1988)
Ni Sb, Ni Sb , NiSb and NiSb have been confirmed. In
3
5
2
2
order to identify the existence of the Ni Sb binary phase,
7
3
we prepared several samples with 28.0 at.% Sb which were
annealed at 1223 K for 21 days in evacuated quartz tube
and then cooled to 773 K at a rate of 10 K/h and kept at
3
13–322.
4] E.D. Wight, in: Proceedings of the 11th Rare Earth Research
Conference, Michigan, Vol. 2, 1974, pp. 642–650.
5] Yu. Mozharivskyj, Yu.B. Kuz’ma, J. Alloys Comp. 236 (1996)
7
73 K for 5, 20 and 45 days, respectively, prior to
2
03–205.
quenching into an ice water mixture. The X-ray diffraction
patterns of these samples are the same and concordant with
[
6] M.N. Abdusalyamova, J. Alloys Comp. 202 (1993) L15–L20.
7] T.B. Massalski, in: Binary Alloy Phase Diagrams, ASM Internation-
al, Materials Park, OH, 1990.
[
that of Ni Sb [21]. This means the Ni Sb does not exist.
5
2
7
3
In the Er–Sb system at 773 K the Er Sb with Sb Y
[8] V.A. Finkel’, M.I. Palatnik, Soviet Physics-JETP 32 (1971) 828–
30, Translated from Zh. Eksp. Noi i Teoret. Fiz.
9] J.M. Moreau, D. Paccard, D. Gignoux, Acta Crystallogr. Sect. B
0B (1974) 2122–2126.
10] D. Gignoux, D. Paccard, J. Rossat-Mignod, F. Tcheou, in: Proceed-
ings of the 10th Rare Earth Research Conference, Arizona, Vol. 2,
1973, pp. 596–604.
5
3
3
5
8
structure type, ErSb with NaCl structure type and ErSb2
with HoSb structure were identified. The Er Sb phase
[
2
4
3
3
reported in Ref. [24] was not obtained.
[
3
7
.2. The isothermal section of the Er–Ni–Sb system at
73 K
[
11] A.S. Markosyan, Soviet Phys. Solid State 23 (1981) 670–671,
Translated from Fiz. Tverdogo Tela, Leningrad.
[
[
12] A .V . Virkar, A. Raman, J. Less-common Metals 18 (1969) 59–66.
13] K.H.J. Buschow, A.S. Van der Goot, J. Less-common Metals 22
The isothermal section of the Er–Ni–Sb system phase
diagram at 773 K has been constructed by using the phase
analysis results obtained in the present work (Fig. 1). The
existence of the ErNiSb and Er Ni Sb ternary compounds
(
1970) 419–428.
[14] J.C. Barrick, W.J. James, Acta Crystallogr. Sect. A 31A (1975) S96.
15] J.K. Yakinthos, Phys. Stat. Solidi Sect. B: Basic Res. 82B (1977)
[
[
[
5
2
3
49–356.
at 773 K was confirmed. No new ternary compounds were
found. The ErNi Sb and Er Ni Sb phases were not
16] J. Bandyopadhyay, K.P. Gupta, Cryogenics, London 17 (1977)
345–347.
17] F. Le’vy, Phys. Kondens. Mater. 10 (1969) 85–106.
2
2
42
16
42
obtained in the system at the investigated temperature. The
maximum solid solubility of Sb in ErNi is about 6.3 at.%.
[18] N.L. Eatough, H.T. Hall, Inorg. Chem. 8 (1969) 1439–1445.
5
[
[
[
19] C.S. Barrett, P. Cucka, K. Haefner, Acta Crystallogr. 16 (1963)
51–453.
20] A. Kjekshus, K.P. Walseth, Acta Chem. Scand. 23 (1969) 2621–
630.
21] S. Heinrich, H.U. Rexer, K. Schubert, J. Less-common Metals 60
1978) 65–74.
Crystal structure data of the initial components, and the
binary and ternary phases of the Er–Ni–Sb system at 773
K are listed in Table 1.
4
2
(
[
[
22] K.H.J. Buschow, J. Less-Common Metals 16 (1968) 45–53.
23] A. Kjekshus, T. Rakke, A.F. Andresen, Acta Chem. Scand., Ser. A:
Phys. Inorg. Chem. 28A (1974) 996–1000.
Acknowledgements
This work was jointly supported by the National Natural
Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 59971018) and
the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi (Matching
items).
[24] M.N. Abdusalyamova, N.A.Vlasov, Yu.M. Goryachev, Inorg. Mater.
2
0 (1984) 1242–1245, Translated from Izvest. Akad. Nauk SSSR,
Neorg. Mater.
References
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1983) 173–176, Translated from Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR Metal.