Isothermal section of ternary Sn-Zn-Ni phase equilibria at 250 °C

Ternary Sn-Zn-Ni alloys were prepared and equilibrated at 250 degrees C for 4-15 weeks. The phases formed in these equilibrated alloys were determined experimentally. The isothermal section of Sn-Zn-Ni system was constructed, based on the phase diagrams of the three constituent binary systems and the ternary phase equilibria data, determined in this study and referenced in literatures. 12 single-phase regions were identified in the Sn-Zn-Ni ternary system at 250 degrees C, including the three ternary compounds, delta, tau(1) and tau(2). There were 13 ternary phase regions and 23 binary phase regions in the 250 degrees C Sn-Zn-Ni isothermal section. The solubility of Zn in the binary Sn-Ni compounds is significant, and is 15.1% (mole fraction) in the Ni(3)Sn phase.