New experimental investigation of the lanthanum zinc phase diagram

International audienceAfter careful review of literature, the La–Zn phase diagram is reinvestigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, microprobe analysis and differential thermal analyses. A more accurate description of the diagram is proposed. Among the eight intermetallic compounds, LaZn, LaZn 2 and La 2 Zn 17 melt congruently whereas LaZn 4 , LaZn 5 , La 3 Zn 22 , LaZn 11 and LaZn 13 decompose peritectically. The diagram includes four eutectic and one metatectic invariant reactions