Molar heat capacities of CdTe, HgTe and CdTe-HgTe alloys in the solid state

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0925-8388(91)90006-H

Using a differential scanning calorimeter, the molar heat capacities of the two components HgTe and CdTe and of ten solid alloys of the CdTe-HgTe system were measured at constant pressure between 300 K and 523 K. Irregular variations of the C_p = f(T) curves of CdTe-HgTe alloys suggest the existence of a solid-state miscibility gap in this system. The limit of the (solid ? solid₍₁₎ + solid₍₂₎) miscibility gap and coordinates of the critical temperature (x_CdTe = 0.55, T = 455 K) are proposed. From C_p data obtained in a single-phase solid region, the excess molar heat capacities (ΔC_p = C_p(exp) - C_p(calc)) at 500 K were deduced: the maximum negative excess C_p is located at x_CdTe = 0.5.