Thermodynamic assessment of the Nd–Zn binary system

On the basis of available experimental information, the Nd–Zn binary system has been thermodynamically optimized using the CALPHAD method. The solution phases, liquid, bcc and dhcp, were treated as substitutional solutions, while the intermediate compounds, NdZn, NdZn₂, NdZn₃, Nd₃Zn₁₁, Nd₁₃Zn₅₈, Nd₃Zn₂₂, Nd₂Zn₁₇ and NdZn₁₁, were described as stoichiometric phases. A set of self-consistent parameters formulating the Gibbs energies of various phases in this binary system was obtained. Most of experimental data on thermochemistry and phase diagram reported in the literatures were satisfactorily reproduced.