Liquidus relations in the ZrO2-Y2O3-Er2O3 system

Phase relationships in the ZrO2-Y2O3-Er2O3 system at temperatures above 2000 degrees C and the liquidus of the ZrO2-Er2O3 system were studied by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, and electron-probe microanalysis of melted and annealed samples. We plotted projections of liquidus and solidus surfaces for the ternary system, a three-dimensional representation of its phase diagram, and the T-x section along, the ZrO2-(30 mol % Y2O3 + 70 mol % Er2O3) join. At subsolidus temperatures, the ZrO2-Y2O3-Er2O3 system contains fields of cubic, hexagonal, and fluorite solid solutions, with minima in the boundary curves at 2350 (18.0 mol % ZrO2, 39.0 mol % Y2O3) and 2330 degrees C (12.5 mol % ZrO2, 41.0 mol % Y2O3). No new phases were identified in the system studied.