Modelling and theories of alloy phase behavior

Many trends in alloy phase formation are readily understood in terms of physically plausible atomic parameters. This has led to the introduction of structural maps where two (or more) such atomic parameters are employed as the coordinates and well-defined regions are observed to be associated with particular crystalline phases. These coordinates sometimes involve the difference in atomic parameters and sometimes involve an average. An alternative approach to the emphasis on atomic parameters has been the consideration of how atoms are packed in some crystal structure and how this controls what the constituent atoms may be. Recently this has led to the utilization of Wigner-Seitz (sometimes called Voronoi or Dirichlet) constructs of the atomic cells in a crystal structure and to the observation that sometimes two crystals which are nominally considered to have the same crystal structure according to normal crystallographic designation should be considered to be different. The Wigner-Seitz cell constructs have also offered a framework for understanding trends in the magnetic and chemical properties of particular phases as well as making coordination between crystalline and glassy structures. Neither of the above approaches provides numerical estimates of quantities of thermodynamic interest such as heats of formation. Such heats are being calculated. 42 refs., 15 figs