Study of the Ag–In–Te ternary system II. Description of the quadrilateral Ag–Ag2Te–In2Te3–In

The phase diagram of the Ag-Ag2Te-In2Te3-In system was studied by DTA, DSC, XRD, metallography and electron microprobe methods. With the exception of the three known compounds, AgInTe2, AgIn5Te8 and Ag3In97Te147 that are localized in the Ag2Te-In2Te3 quasi-binary section, no other ternary compounds are identified. The eutectic valleys are drawn, and the nature and the location of the ternary invariants are given. Twelve ternary invariants are found: three eutectic points, eight transitory peritectic points and one metatectic point. One ternary liquid-liquid miscibility gap is identified: it originates from the Ag-Ag2Te system and overlaps a large region of the Ag-Ag2Te-InTe-In system; it is crossed by a eutectic valley, giving a first-class ternary monotectic equilibrium. No glassy region is observed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.