MgZn
MgZn is a metastable metallic intermetallic compound formed from magnesium and zinc.
About MgZn
MgZn is a metallic intermetallic compound composed of magnesium and zinc. As a metastable phase, it represents a complex structural arrangement that is a subject of significant interest in condensed matter physics and metallurgy.
Due to its metallic nature, the compound is characterized by high electrical conductivity and typical metallic bonding. Its existence is supported by extensive data across multiple structural databases, highlighting its importance in the study of binary alloy systems.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for MgZn, aggregated across 5 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of MgZn. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for MgZn, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pmma (No. 51) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0000 | -0.109 | — |
| P4/mmm (No. 123) | tetragonal | 0.00 | 0.0031 | -0.106 | — |
| Pm-3m (No. 221) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0045 | -0.104 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0229 | -0.089 | — |
| C2/m (No. 12) | monoclinic | 0.00 | 0.0249 | -0.084 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0290 | -0.083 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0312 | -0.081 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0319 | -0.080 | — |
| Pmma (No. 51) | orthorhombic | 0.00 | 0.0331 | -1.518 | 4.30 |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0371 | -0.075 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0420 | -0.070 | — |
| Pm-3m (No. 221) | cubic | 0.00 | 0.0432 | -1.508 | 4.29 |
Applications
Where MgZn is used.
Patent Landscape
2 patents reference MgZn or close compositional variants.
| Patent | Title | Assignee | Granted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5932819 | Deflection ring of sintered MgZn-ferrite material, cathode ray tube comprising such a ring and moulding made f | — | — |
| 5841225 | Deflection ring of sintered MgZn-ferrite material, cathode ray tube comprising such a ring and moulding made f | — | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about MgZn, answered from cross-validated data.
What is MgZn?
MgZn is a metastable metallic intermetallic compound formed from magnesium and zinc.
What is MgZn used for?
What is the band gap of MgZn?
Is MgZn a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is MgZn thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of MgZn?
How many polymorphs of MgZn are known?
What elements does MgZn contain?
Where does the data for MgZn come from?
How It Compares
As a binary intermetallic compound, MgZn serves as a foundational example of the complex structural diversity found in magnesium-zinc alloy systems, where multiple metastable phases often compete for stability depending on processing conditions.
Data sources & attribution
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
- oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (CC-BY-4.0)
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
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