Experimental investigation and thermodynamic assessment of the Fe-Pr and Fe-Nd binary systems

In this work, Fe-Pr alloys and Fe-Nd alloys were investigated experimentally by means of thermal analysis. The temperatures of the invariant reactions and liquidus in the Fe-Pr and Fe-Nd binary systems were measured. Based on the experimental results determined in this work and the critical review of the available experimental data in published literature, the Fe-Pr and Fe-Nd binary systems were re-assessed thermodynamically using the CALPHAD method. The solution phases including liquid, bcc, fcc and dhcp are modeled by the substitutional solution model and their excess Gibbs energies are expressed with the Redlich-Kister polynomial. The intermetallic compounds, Fe17Pr2, Fe17Nd2 and Fe17Nd5 are treated as intermetallic compounds. The self-consistent thermodynamic parameters obtained finally to describe the Gibbs energies of various phases in the Fe-Pr and Fe-Nd binary systems can be used to reproduce well the phase equilibria and thermodynamic data. •The invariant reactions and liquidus were determined by thermal analysis.•The Fe-Pr and Fe-Nd binary systems were assessed using the CALPHAD method.•Self-consistent thermodynamic parameters of these two binary systems were obtained.•The calculation results agree well with phase equilibria and thermodynamic data.•Fe17Pr2 compound is stable at room temperature in the present calculation.