Phase relations of the Eu-Zn-Al system at 400 °C from 0 to 33.3 at.% Eu

The phase relations in the Eu-Zn-Al ternary system have been established at 400 °C for the partial isothermal section in the 0-33.3 at.% europium concentration range, by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), optical microscopy (OM) and particle induced X-ray emission microscopy (μPIXE). The existence of three new ternary compounds was found and their crystal structures were assigned: Eu2Zn13.9-14.3Al3.1-2.7 (Th2Zn17-type), Eu3Zn18Al4 (Ce3Zn22-type) and EuZn1-2Al3-2 (BaAl4-type). All binary compounds from the Eu-Al and Eu-Zn system reveal homogeneity ranges by Zn/Al substitutions.