The liquidus curve in the system Al2O3-CeO2 was determined by the use of a heliostat type solar furnace. The cooling curves of melted specimens were obtained in the black body centrifugal cavity with an optical pyrometer. The quenched specimens were examined by powder X-ray techniques and petrographic microscopy.
Anomalies in the liquidus curve of the system were found in the region between 70.0 and 95.0mol% CeO2. A composition of 90.0mol% CeO2 was further examined by the high-temperature powder X-ray diffractometry, and the presence of a new orthorhombic phase was established.
A tentative phase disgram for the Al2O3-CeO2 system at high temperatures is presented.