Critical evaluation and thermodynamic modeling of the Pd–Sn system

The single crystalline material PdSn4, a homologue of the Dirac nodal arc semimetal PtSn4, is a promising candidate to search for new topological states with fascinating quantum physical properties. In the present work, the thermochemistry and phase diagram information of the Pd–Sn system published in the literature was collected and critically reviewed, two thermodynamic reassessments of the Pd–Sn system were carried out in the frame of the CALPHAD approach to optimize the Gibbs free energy of each phase presented in the system. The liquid phase was described using respectively the Bragg-Williams random mixing model and the associate solution model. All the reliable thermodynamic property and phase equilibria data can be generally described using the presently obtained thermodynamic descriptions of the Pd–Sn system. Issues related to the further improvement of the thermodynamic descriptions of the Pd–Sn system are discussed. •Critical evaluation of the Pd–Sn binary system.•New thermodynamic assessments of the Pd–Sn system.•Two sets of Pd–Sn thermodynamic parameters.•Associate solution and Bragg-Williams random mixing liquid.