Compounds in Ternary Systems

• Most systems will show at least one

compound
• Compounds can be
– binary (two components)
– ternary (three components)
• Compounds can exhibit
– congruent melting
– incongruent melting

1
 Compounds in Ternary Systems
• All compounds which do not decompose
below the lowest liquidus T will normally have
a primary phase field in the triaxial projection

2
Binary Compound
Congruently Melting

3
Binary Compound
Incongruently Melting

Notice Peritectic

4
• Unusual situation – a binary compound in equilibrium
with liquid ENTIRELY inside the ternary. How can this
happen?
5
• Can only happen when the compound has a
stability limit within the binary system:

L
A+ L B+ L

A+ B

A + AB AB + B

A AB B

6
 Ternary Compounds
• Ternary compounds are represented by a
point inside the ternary diagram
– the composition can fall either inside or OUTSIDE
that primary phase field
• congruently melting (inside primary phase field)
• incongruently melting (outside)

7
 Incongruent vs Congruent Ternary
Compounds

Primary
phase field

Ternary Compound

Incongruently melting Congruently melting

8
 Alkemade Lines, Boundary Curves and
Invariant Points
• The number of boundary curves increases
rapidly with binary and ternary compounds
• Visualization of direction of falling
temperature becomes difficult
• How do you determine the direction of falling
temperature?

9
 Alkemade’s Theorem
Rijn van Alkemade
• If a straight line is constructed which connects
the composition points of two solid phases
whose primary phase fields meet to form a
boundary curve, the direction of falling
temperature along that boundary curve will
be away from the point where the constructed
line and boundary curve cross

10
 Example of Alkemade’s Theorem

• Straight line
– either AC or
– C - AB
• Boundary curve
• Temp. falls away
from intersection

Note: - this only works if the two compositions have

primary phase fields that meet at a boundary curve. 11
 Alkemade lines

• Many of the Alkemade lines fall along the

sides of the composition triaxial
• Alkemade triangles (formed by three
Alkemade lines, divide the composition
triaxial into distinct areas
– each is associated with a ternary invariant point
– this point is where the boundary curves
associated with the Alkemade lines intersect

12
Ternary invariant point associated with
an Alkemade triangle
Boundaries associate
with each Alkemade
line:
AC
AB-C
A-AB

Invariant Point

Sometimes you have

to extend the Alkemade
line to reach the
boundary.
Notice it isnt necessarily inside
13
 Significance of Invariant Point
• When a total isopleth falls within a specific
Alkemade triangle, the first liquid to appear
on heating or the last liquid to disappear on
cooling on this isopleth will be of the
composition of the associated ternary
invariant point.

14
 What ternary invariant point is
associated with point c?

For point c:
Compatibility triangle = A AB C
Associated boundary curves =
A-AB, A-C, C-AB
Intersection of boundary
curves = point a

Conclusion: isopleths in the A

AB C compatibility triangle will
have their last liquid phase
disappear at the a peritectic
point a at Ta

15
 Q: What ternary invariant point is
associated with point d?
For point d:
Compatibility triangle =
Associated boundary
curves =
Intersection of boundary
curves =

Conclusion:

Draw the cooling curve

16
 Q: What ternary invariant point is
associated with point d?
For point d:
Compatibility triangle = AB C B
the purple one
Associated boundary curves =
Between AB-C, C-B and B and
AB
Intersection of boundary curves
= point b

Conclusion: Last liquid freezes

at b

Draw the cooling curve

17
 Q: What ternary invariant point is
associated with point e?
For point e:
Compatibility triangle =
Associated boundary curves =
Intersection of boundary curves =

Conclusion:

Draw the cooling curve

What is the binary equivalent of this situation?

18
 Q: What ternary invariant point is
associated with point e?
For point e:
Compatibility triangle = AB C B (purple)
Associated boundary curves = shown
Intersection of boundary curves = at point b

Conclusion: Everything starting in purple ends

at b!

Draw the cooling curve

What is the binary equivalent of this situation?

19
What is the binary equivalent of this situation?

Total isopleth to left of peritectic will

undergo first a peritectic and then a
eutectic transformation.

20
 Ternary Invariant Points

• In systems without
solid solution
– ternary eutectic
• minimum
• inside Alkemade triangle
– ternary peritectic
• not a minimum
• outside Alkemade
Triangle

21
 Crystallization Paths
• Complex phenomena occur while heating
ceramics
• Although most ceramics are not in
equilibrium, phase diagrams can help
– refractories actually DO approach equilibrium
• “Crystallization paths” - a trace followed by
the composition of a liquid on cooling

22
 Crystallization Paths
• Steps to following a trace:
– Identify Alkemade triangles (also called
compatibility triangles)
– Determine invariant points
– establish direction of falling temp.
– At any temperature along the crystallization
path, you can
• pass a tie line from that comp. through the original
composition to the solid composition point to determine
relative amounts (& solid comp.)

23
Primary phase fields and
Alkemade Triangles
Alkemade
Triangles Phase
Fields

24
Incongruently Melting
Note both AC and
BC are
incongruently
melting

25
What about
THIS composition?

26
Binary with limited stability

27
Resorption in Ternary Systems

28
Incongruent-ternary
Congruent - binary

29