The ternary system cerium–iridium–silicon

Abstract

Phase relations in the ternary system Ce–Ir–Si have been established and the isothermal section at 950 °C was constructed based on X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis techniques on 83 alloys, which were prepared by arc melting under argon or powder reaction sintering. Among the 15 ternary compounds observed at 950 °C 8 phases have been reported earlier. Based on powder X-ray diffraction data the crystal structures for 6 new ternary phases were assigned to known structure types: τ6 – Ce3IrSi3 (Ta3B4-type), τ8 – Ce3Ir4Si4 (U3Ni4Si4-type), τ10 – Ce6Ir30Si19 (Sc6Co30Si19-type), τ12 – Ce2Ir12Si7 (Ho2Rh12As7-type), τ13 – Ce3Ir2−xSi2+x (Sm3Ir2Si2-type), and τ14 – Ce3Ir3Si2 (Ce3Rh3Si2-type). For another new compound τ1 – Ce4Ir27Si69 (at.%), which has homogeneity region along 27 at.% of Ir, the reflections were indexed in hexagonal lattice symmetry with cell parameters close to high-temperature IrSi3−x phase.