Metastable phase diagrams of Cu-based alloy systems with a miscibility gap in undercooled state

Abstract

Some Cu-based alloy systems with a large positive enthalpy of mixing display a eutectic or peritectic phase diagram under equilibrium conditions, but show a metastable liquid miscibility gap in the undercooled state. When the melt is undercooled below certain temperature beyond the critical liquid-phase separation temperature, it separates into two liquids with different compositions. The compositions of the two liquids change successively upon the metastable phase diagram before solidification occurs. The shape and position of the metastable miscibility gap are dependent of the alloy components and their interaction features. This study reviews the metastable phase diagrams of Cu-based alloy systems, which are derived from experiments and thermodynamic calculations.