Experimental investigations and thermodynamic modeling of the Ce-Fe-Nd system

In this study, phase transitions in the Ce-Nd system and along the 80.0 at.% Fe isothermal section of the Ce-Fe-Nd system were investigated using Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA). The thermodynamic equilibria at 623 K and 1023 K were determined through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) after long-term annealing. Based on these experimental results and available literature, the Ce-Nd system was thermodynamically assessed using the Calphad method. The Fe-Nd and Ce-Fe systems were also re-assessed using existing data. These binary assessments were then integrated to develop a new thermodynamic model of the Ce-Fe-Nd system. The calculated properties and phase diagrams from this modeling show good agreement with both the literature data, newly determined phase transitions and observed equilibria. Additionally, two as-cast samples were synthesized, and their solidification paths were modeled using Scheil-Gulliver simulations, providing further validation of the proposed thermodynamic description.