Phase relationships and thermodynamic properties in the Mn-Ni-C system

In the present work, phase relationships in selected phase regions of the Mn-Ni-C system have been investigated at 1073 and 1223 K by use of an equilibration technique. Alloys of Mn-Ni-C were prepared from pure Mn, Ni, and C powders by the powder metallurgy method. The phase identification of the heat-treated samples was carried out by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The main phase compositions of the alloys have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The experimental results show that the site fraction of Ni in the metallic sublattice of the carbides M23C6, M7C3, and M5C2 is quite low and the value is around 0.02 to 0.03. The thermodynamic activities of manganese in 16 different Mn-Ni-C alloys have been studied by solid-state galvanic cell technique with single-crystal CaF2 as the solid electrolyte in the temperature range 940 to 1165 K. The results are discussed in light of the available thermochemical information.