The Cu-Se system

Abstract

Phase-relations in the Cu-Se system were determined by evacuated silica-tube experiments. The phase diagram up to 1100° C was obtained from the results of differential thermal analyses of pure compounds and of their mixtures. The phases in the system are: Cu2Se — undergoes a polymorphic transformation at 150° C. The symmetry of the low temperature form is not yet known. The high form is cubic with a fluorite-type structure. Cu2−xSe — cubic, with x variable in a very narrow range, at room temperature. Cu3Se2 — tetragonal, breaks down to Cu2−xSe and CuSe at 150° C. CuSe — hexagonal below 60° C and, presumably, orthorhombic at higher temperature, melts incongruently at 387° C to Cu2−xSe and a Se-rich liquid. CuSe2 — orthorhombic, melts incongruently at 347° C to CuSe and a Se-rich liquid. The presence of an eutectic at 523° C was inferred from differential thermal heating and cooling curves.