Experimental investigation of phase transformations in the La-Fe and La-Fe-C systems

Abstract Phase equilibria in the La-Fe-C system at crystallization were studied and the binary La-Fe system was reinvestigated using DTA, X-ray diffraction, SEM and electron probe microanalysis. Using the results, the binary La-Fe phase diagram has been redrawn and liquidus and solidus projections for the La-Fe-C system constructed, for the first time, covering the whole concentration range. There is no stable miscibility gap in the liquid phase of La-Fe system, according on our results. The La-Fe system shows a simple eutectic at 88 at.% La. The eutectic temperature was measured to be 788 °C. No intermediate phases were found. In the ternary La-Fe-C system a ternary compound La3.67FeC6 (τ) was found in equilibrium with the liquid phase and to coexist with most of the other phases in the system. Additions of carbon to La-Fe alloys caused liquid immiscibility. In this investigation, the liquid separation has been proved with clear microscopic pictures of samples showing this effect. A ternary stable liquid miscibility gap marked L1 + L2 develops from a metastable liquid miscibility gap in the La-Fe binary system. None of the binary intermetallic phases show any solubility of the third component.