New experimental investigation of the lanthanum zinc phase diagram

After careful review of literature, the La–Zn phase diagram is reinvestigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, microprobe analysis and differential thermal analyses. A more accurate description of the diagram is proposed. Among the eight intermetallic compounds, LaZn, LaZn2 and La2Zn17 melt congruently whereas LaZn4, LaZn5, La3Zn22, LaZn11 and LaZn13 decompose peritectically. The diagram includes four eutectic and one metatectic invariant reactions.