Kinetic parameters of Cd0.85-xMnxZn0.15Te (x = 0.05-0.20) alloys melting and crystallization processes

Abstract

The kinetic parameters of melting and crystallization of Cd0.85-xMnxZn0.15Te (x = 0.05-0.20) alloys were investigated by the differential thermal analysis (DTA) method at different heating/cooling rates. Cd0.85-xMnxZn0.15Te alloys were synthesized from elementary materials in a vertical furnace with a high-gradient temperature that prevented the sublimation of the components. The DTA was carried out in an automatic system. The heating and cooling rates were 5 and 10°С/min, and the dwell time was 10, 30 and 60 minutes. The DTA were processed in two different ways. Using the first treatment method we found that the melt of the Cd0.80Mn0.05Zn0.15Te alloy crystallize with the supercooling, and it occurs at melt superheating higher than 12 °С. But the melt’s “negative” supercooling effect is present for alloy when the melt are superheated to 12 °C compared to the melting temperature of the alloy, which is evidence of two-phase alloy (solid phase - melt) at these temperatures. Also we determined that as the holding temperature increases the crystallization temperature decreases and the crystallization rate increases. We investigated that the area of the crystallization effect increases with increasing holding temperature. Concerning on the second treatment method we found the dependence of the solid-state volume fraction (φsolid state) versus the intermediate dwell temperature of the alloy during the heating process for Cd0.80Mn0.05Zn0.15Te. It shows that increasing of the melt-dwell temperature led to the melts full homogenization only near 1117 °C. Thus according to our previous researches we can say that the Cd1-x-уMnxZnyTe alloy’s melting temperature increases with ZnTe concentration increasing: ~1100-1102°С for Cd0.95-xMnxZn0.05Te alloys (x=0.05-0.30), ~1102-1104°С for Cd0.90-xMnxZn0.10Te alloys (x=0.05-0.30) and ~1116-1119°С for Cd0.80Mn0.05Zn0.15Te alloys.