Isothermal sections of the U-Fe-Sb ternary system

摘要

A systematic study on the ternary uranium-iron-antimony was made at 700 and 750°C through powder X-ray diffraction and Scanning Electron Microscopy, coupled with Energy Dispersive Spectrometry. The assessed sections confirmed the existence and crystal structure of the binary intermetallic compounds stable at these temperatures, as well as the UFeSb_2ternary phase. Moreover it was found that UFeSb_2 is part of a solid solution, UFe_(1-x)Sb_2, stable for 19＜Fe＜24 at.% at 700°C and 16＜Fe＜25 at.% at 750°C. A new ternary phase, U_3Fe_(3-x)Sb_4, crystallizing in the cubic type Y_3Au_3Sb_4 and stable for 22＜Fe＜33 at.% at 700°C, and 14＜Fe＜33 at.% at 750°C was also revealed in the present work.