ABSTRACT
The activity in the experimental determination of phase diagrams probably reached its maximum effort during the middle of the century and some of the major compendiums of binary and ternary diagrams were published following this time. For example, the three volumes of the series Constitution of Binary Alloys were published, which still act as a prime reference source for modern use. In the field of ceramics, a seminal work Phase Diagrams for Ceramists was published in 1956 and a major effort has since been maintained by the American Ceramics Society with the publication of numerous supplements. Experimental determination of phase diagrams has continued around the world, with new methods being developed that permit the quite rapid determination of phase equilibria to be achieved. A new field came to the fore during the latter part of the 20th century. This is based on the thermodynamic calculation of phase diagrams, often known under the acronym CALPHAD.
