In some phase diagrams, the appearance of several reactions is the result of the presence of intermediate phases. These are phases whose chemical compositions are intermediate between two pure metals, and whose crystalline structures are different from those of the pure metals. This article describes the order-disorder transformation that typically occurs on cooling from a disordered solid solution to an ordered phase. It provides a table that lists selected superlattice structures and alloy phases that order according to each superlattice. The article informs that spinodal decomposition has been particularly useful in the production of permanent magnet materials, because the morphologies favor high magnetic coercivities. It also describes the theory of spinodal decomposition with a simple binary phase diagram.

Ternary molybdenum chalcogenides stands for a vast class of materials, whose general formula is MxMO6X8, where, M is a cation and X is a chalcogen (sulfur, selenium, or tellurium). Possible applications of some of these are as high field superconductors (that is, >20 T, or 200 kG). This article discusses the fabrication methods of PbMo6S8 (PMS) and SnMo6S8 (SMS), including hot processing and cold processing. It provides a short note on the superconducting properties of PMS wire filaments and their applications in processes requiring high magnetic fields, such as high-energy physics, thermonuclear fusion, and nuclear magnetic resonance.