| Abstract Scope |
Thermodynamic properties of the Nd-Fe alloys were investigated via electromotive force (emf) measurements in molten LiCl-KCl-NdCl<sub>3</sub> and LiF-CaF<sub>2</sub>-NdF<sub>3</sub> electrolytes at 500–900 ºC at mole fractions of x<sub>Nd</sub> = 0.05–0.50, relative to pure Nd(s). The temperature-dependent emf values of the Nd-Fe alloys were used to determine the partial molar Gibbs energy (chemical potential), entropy, and enthalpy. In addition, the first-order phase transitions detected during emf measurements were corroborated with thermal analysis via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). To understand the phase behavior of the Nd-Fe alloys near equilibrium, selected alloy compositions were annealed for microstructural analysis by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and structural analysis by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). |