Experimental investigation and thermodynamic description of the Cr–Sn–Zn ternary system

Abstract The phase equilibria of the Cr–Sn–Zn ternary system have been systematically investigated via thermodynamic modeling and experimental analysis. The isothermal sections of the Cr–Sn–Zn system at 250 and 450 °C were characterized using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, the results of these two isothermal sections have confirmed the existence of the ternary compound T which is stable at 250 °C and dissolved at 450 °C. The primary solidification phases were also identified, and only two different primary solidification phases were found. The phase transformations were experimentally determined by using DSC method. On the basis of the present experimental results and available literature data, we carried out the thermodynamic calculations for this system using the CALPHAD technique. A set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters for the Cr–Sn–Zn ternary system were obtained with good agreement between the experimental and calculated results, proving the validity of the present thermodynamic description.