Use of the Diagrams
The Diagrams
The Index Pages

Use of the Diagrams

The diagrams are useful in a number of different ways. Metallurgists have traditionally used the diagrams in troubleshooting the development of new alloy production and controlling manufacturing processes. The data contained in the diagrams allows you to extrapolate or interpolate hypothetical compositions. Using them can lead to better predictions of long-range performance and resistance to corrosion. When the scarcity of strategic metals or costly elements forces you to reconsider current alloys, the diagrams suggest more attractive alternative constituents.

The diagrams are not evaluated, nor do they contain a complete bibliography of all references to a system. Their purpose is to allow rapid access to both new and old diagrams and to the most recent references. References to earlier literature will be found in bibliographies of the papers used as a basis for these redrawn diagrams. References are cited on each diagram.

Diagrams must meet at least one of the following guidelines to be included in the collection:

• Systems for which no diagram is contained in Hansen, Elliott, or Shunk
• Newer, more complete examples of partial diagrams found in the earlier volumes
• Diagrams that differ in some significant way from those in Hansen, et al.

Where diagrams have been pieced together from several sources, reference is given to each source. Two or more diagrams from the same system are included when they are found to differ in some way and there is at present insufficient information to judge which is the best diagram.

The Diagrams

The pages are arranged alphabetically by the boldface pairs of element symbols. The issue date of the page is at the lower right. Each redrawn diagram includes the reference to the source of the information.

There are five distinct diagram formats in the collection, each identified by a separate symbol in the index. The pages indicated by an * are the most numerous. These are equilibrium diagrams at either one atmosphere or constrained vapor. A q on the diagram page indicates data on non-equilibrium phases found in quenched or rapidly cooled systems. An s on the diagram page shows that information but no diagram is available about the intermediate phases of an equilibrium system. A p on the diagram page denotes high-pressure data relating to changes in melting points, temperature, and composition of invariant reaction and modifications of the structure of intermediate phases. An e on the diagram page provides information about an element such as one-atmosphere melting and boiling points, crystal structures, and vapor-pressure data. It also includes the effects at high pressure on melting and transformation temperatures, and the existence fields of various crystalline structures of the element. These pages are issued when there is no information in Elliott or when more recent work reveals a considerable difference in the data.

View Sample Diagrams (pdf)

The Index Pages

There are 104 cross-index pages, one for each element. The entries in the table indicate the page numbers of information about a given system as available in the collections of Hansen, Elliott, Shunk, and Genium's collection.

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