The isothermal section of Gd-Ni-Si system at 1070 K

The Gd–Ni–Si system has been investigated at 1070 K by X-ray and microprobe analyses. The existence of the known compounds, i.e.: GdNi10Si2, GdNi8Si3, GdNi5Si3, GdNi7Si6, GdNi6Si6, GdNi4Si, GdNi2Si2, GdNiSi3, Gd3Ni6Si2, GdNiSi, GdNiSi2, GdNi0.4Si1.6, Gd2Ni2.35Si0.65, Gd3NiSi2, Gd3NiSi3 and Gd6Ni1.67Si3, has been confirmed. Moreover, five new phases have been identified in this system. The crystal structure for four of them has been determined: Gd2Ni16−12.8Si1−4.2 (Th2Zn17-type), GdNi6.6Si6 (GdNi7Si6-type), Gd3Ni8Si (Y3Co8Si-type) and Gd3Ni11.5Si4.2 (Gd3Ru4Ga12-type). The compound with composition ~Gd2Ni4Si3 still remains with unknown structure. Quasi-binary phases, solid solutions, were detected at 1070 K to be formed by the binaries GdNi5, GdNi3, GdNi2, GdNi, GdSi2 and GdSi1.67; while no appreciable solubility was observed for the other binary compounds of the Gd–Ni–Si system. Magnetic properties of the GdNi6Si6, GdNi6.6Si6 and Gd3Ni11.5Si4.2 compounds have also been investigated and are here reported.