Thermodynamic properties and phase equilibria in the nickel-zirconium system. The liquid to amrphous state transition

The vapour composition and the thermodynamic properties of Ni-Zr alloys in the liquid and solid states were studied by Knudsen-cell mass spectrometry over wide rages of temperature (971-1896 K) and compostition (0-99.8 mol% Zr). The accessible temperature range was enhanced by chemically generating volatile substances directly in the cell. For this purpose, the samples were mixed with powdered fluorides of magnesium, calcium, or sodium. Reduction reactions occurring in the cell produced zirconium fluorides, which were examinded with the mass spectrometer. The termodynamic funcions of formation of all crystalline phases in the Ni-Zr system were determined. A representative file of experimental data was obtained for the Ni-Zr melt. It comprises about 900 values of the activites of both components at various concentrations and temperatures. The concentration and tempetrature dependences of the thermodynamic functions of liquid Ni-Zr alloy were described by the associated-solutins model under the assumption that NiZr, Ni2Zr and Ni3Zr associates exist in the melt. The pahse equilibria computed on the basis of the obtained thermodynamic properties and the developed model are shown to agree with available experimental information. The nature of the interparticle interaction in the Ni-Zr system was analysed and the behaviour of the thermodynamic functions accompanying the process of transition of the Ni-Zr melt into the amorphous state was considered. Quantitative agreement with the independent experimental results was obtained.