270158 VO Experimental methods for phase diagram determination (2012S)

The lecture gives an overview about different methods used for the characterization of inorganic materials; in particular methods for phase diagram analysis. In the first section we discuss different types of phase diagrams and the possibilities to construct 2-dimensional diagrams of multi-component systems. the preparation of equilibrated samples is discussed. In the second section different methods for the investigation of isothermal equilibria are introduced: metallographic analysis by light optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and EPMA (Electron Probe Microanalysis). The classical methods of thermal analysis, DTA (Differential Thermal Analysis), DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) and TGA (Thermo Gravimetric Analysis) which are used for the investigation of thermal reactions are the topic of the third section. Finally we will give some practical examples on data analysis and the evaluation of complex phase diagrams based on experimental data.