Thermodynamic assessment and experimental study of the Al-Ag-Ga phase diagram

Ternary Al-Ag-Ga system was assessed both theoretically using thermodynamic calculations of phase equilibria based on CALPHAD method and experimentally using differential thermal analysis (DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis. The calculated phase transition temperatures, isothermal sections at 300 and 500 °C and liquidus surface projection were experimentally validated by experimental study of selected long-term annealed alloy samples with overall compositions along four vertical sections Al-Ag80Ga20, Al-Ag60Ga40, Ag-Al80Ga20 and Ag-Al60Ga40.