The Al–R–Mg (R=Gd, Dy, Ho) systems. Part I: experimental investigation

Key experiments were carried out on the three Al–R–Mg (R=Gd,Dy,Ho) systems and the results obtained used for the thermodynamic optimisation reported in a separate paper in this issue [Caccasmani G, De Negri S, Saccone A, Ferro R. Intermetallics this issue.]. The samples were characterized by differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), light optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and quantitative electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The isothermal sections at 400 °C are all characterized by extended homogeneity regions at a constant rare earth content. The extension of the (Mg,Al)R solid solution, cP2-CsCl type, varies with the R atomic number. Ternary compounds (τ) of Al2(R,Mg) stoichiometry (hexagonal Laves phases with MgNi2-type structure) have been found to exist at 400 °C in all the systems. Their temperatures of formation were detected by DTA measurements.