Experimental Phase Diagram of the Al-Er-Zr Ternary System

The phase diagram of the Al-Er-Zr ternary system at 773 K has been experimentally investigated by means of x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive analysis (EDX). The existence of 13 binary compounds, i.e. Al3Zr, Al2Zr, Al3Zr2, AlZr, Al3Zr4, Al2Zr3, AlZr2, AlZr3, Al3Er, Al2Er, AlEr, Al2Er3 and AlEr2 was confirmed. It is proved that the phases Al3Zr5 and Al4Zr5 do not exist at 773 K. The isothermal section consists of 16 single-phase regions, 29 binary-phase regions and 14 ternary-phase regions. The maximum solid solubility of Zr in Al3Er, Al2Er, AlEr, Al2Er3 and Er is about 9, 14, 4.5, 5.4, and 12 at.% Zr, respectively. No remarkable solid solubility could be found in the other compounds of this ternary system at 773 K. No ternary compound is found in the present work.