The antimony-iron-niobium (Sb-Fe-Nb) system

Phase equilibria were established in the Nb-Fe-Sb ternary system for an iso thermal section at 600 degrees C, Investigation of the phase relations was based on light optical microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and X-ray diffraction experiments on are-melted bulk alloys, which were annealed up t o 1400 h, One ternary compound was observed: NbFeSb (MgAgAs type) without a significant homogeneity region at 600 degrees C. Except for NbFe2-y, mutua l solid solubilities at 600 degrees C were found to be very low for example ,<1 at.% re and <1 at.% Nb in the binary Nb antimonides and Fe antimonides, respectively. The binary Laves phase NbFe2-y with the MgZn2 type exhibits an extended homogeneity region dissolving at 600 degrees C up to 7 at. % Sb in the ternary without change of its structure type.