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 η 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 A 15 phase (Zr4Sn). The temperature of the peritectoid reaction βZr+A15↔αZr has been determined to be at 1216 K that is 4 0 ∘ 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.