Phase equilibria in the neodymium-cadmium binary system.

The equilibrium phase diagram of the neodymium-cadmium system has been established by thermal, metallographic and X-ray analysis based on a study of 70 alloys. The system contains three congruently melting intermetallic compounds, i.e. NdCd (1040 °C), NdCd (995 °C), NdCd (855 °C), and four incongruently melting compounds NdCd (860 °C), NdCd (740 °C), NdCd (655 °C) and NdCd (520 °C). Four eutectic reactions are found in this binary system, i.e. at ∼25 at.% Cd and 770 °C, at 58 at.% Cd and 955 °C, at 79 at.% Cd and 850 °C, and very close to pure Cd at 318 °C, as well as one eutectoid reaction at ∼15 at.% Cd and 500 °C. The solid solubility of Nd in Cd is negligible. Dilatometric curves were recorded for three Nd-Cd compositions up to 4 at.% Cd, to accurately determine phase transitions between the solid solutions of Cd in the low- and high-temperature modification of Nd.