The eutectic composition on CdxPb1-xF2 phase diagram:: A molecular-dynamics study

A eutectic composition was observed, for the first time using molecular-dynamics (MD) simulation, for the CdxPb1-xF2 solid solutions. Simulations were performed on melting and cooling processes on these solid solutions for various compositions. It was observed that the initial addition of cadmium fluoride to the lead fluoride cubic lattice decreases the melting temperature of the resulting solid solution, leading to a eutectic composition with x = 0.35, in perfect accord with experimental data. Solid solutions with higher cadmium concentrations present higher melting temperatures. Simulations on cooling from the melt, at various rates, indicate that the eutectic composition has a better glass-forming ability than the others compositions.