Experimental investigation and thermodynamic assessment of the BaCl2–CeCl3 system

The thermodynamic and thermo-physical properties of the molten salt system Image 1 have been investigated using an experimental and modelling approach. This molten salt system includes a single intermediate compound Image 2, whose structure has been investigated using X-ray and neutron diffraction. Furthermore, this system exhibits solubility of Image 3 in Image 4 at high temperatures up to a concentration of around 25% Image 3 at 1060 K. Additionally, our measurements show solubility of Image 4 in Image 3 up to about 5% Image 4 at 973 K. The investigation of these solid solutions has been performed using quenching experiments and subsequent post-characterisation by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Phase diagram equilibria have also been investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Using the aforementioned information on phase transitions, intermediate compound formation, and mutual solid solubility, a thermodynamic assessment of the system has been performed using the CALPHAD method. The model for the Gibbs energy of the liquid solution is the quasi-chemical formalism in the quadruplet approximation, while the model for the Gibbs energy of the solid solutions is a two-sublattice polynomial model.