Application of ternary phase diagrams to the development of MoSi 2-based materials

Abstract

A review of the literature reveals ternary phase diagram data for a number of systems involving MoSi 2. Although incomplete, this literature provides the initial basis for a rational approach to alloy design. For example, one can assess the high temperature stability of various artificially introduced reinforcements, such as niobium or SiC in an MoSi 2 matrix and the possibilities for the development of stable two-phase microstructures in quasibinary alloys in the MoSi 2TiSi 2 and MoSi 2TaSi 2 systems. Revised phase diagrams for these latter systems are presented that indicate the absence of the C11 b-to-C40 high temperature polymorphic transformation in pure MoSi 2.