Thermodynamic calculation of the Ga-Sm binary system

Abstract

By virtue of its incomparable chemical, magnetic, electrical, optical and catalytic properties, the alloy of the Ga- Sm system is gaining importance in the high-tech industry. However, the lack of experimental thermodynamic data on this system made it difficult to design efficient extraction processes. In this regard, thermodynamic calculations can serve as a cost effective tool in terms of time and money in order to design a process to explore the thermodynamic properties of this system. Hence its modeling using the CALPHAD method via Thermo-calc. The Orthorhombic, Rhombohedral, Bcc, Hcp and liquid phases found in the solution were optimized with the substitutional solution model by the Redlich-Kister equation. The Ga-Sm binary system contains five stoichiometric compounds: Ga6Sm_BT, Ga6Sm_HT, GaSm, Ga3Sm5and GaSm3 and the Ga2Sm intermetallic compound, which have a wide homogeneity range, were treated as the formula (GA)2,(Ga,SM)1 by a two-sublattice model with Gallium and Samrium or Gallium on the first sublattice, and Gallium and Samarium on the second, respectively. A set of thermodynamic properties and parameters of the Ga-Sm binary system was obtained, and they are in good agreement with the experimental thermodynamic parameters available in the literature.