What's New in FactSage 5.1?

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The FactSage5.1 update was released in June, 2002. There are no changes to the databases - this will be done in the next version (FactSage 5.2). To the best of our knowledge the bugs reported in FactSage 5.0 have been fixed. In addition the following is a list of other programming changes:-

FactSage Main Menu

  • the debugging program ('Tools > Debug Program > ..') has been improved. It now offers two levels of diagnostics that will enable us to help you more efficiently when trying to resolve problems:

    Slide Show

  • the slide shows are now automatically presented in full screen PPS format. For printing you can still access the *.ppt source files stored in the \FACTHELP sub-directory.
  • the presentations for many of the modules have been updated and expanded.

    View Data

  • a new information button enables you to display pertinent documentation (*.htm, *.rtf, *.pdf, *.doc and *.txt files) on the databases (FACT and SGTE solution databases for example). You can also create you own documentation for private data. For example if you have compound data stored in c:\FactSage\PRIVBase.cdb (or solution data in c:\FactSage\USERSoln.sdb) then you could store the documentation in c:\FactSage\PRIVBase.* (c:\FactSage\USERSoln.*) where * is one of 'htm', 'rtf', 'pdf', 'doc' or 'txt'. An information button is also offered within the calculate programs via the drop down menu 'Database Search > Databases > ...'.
  • there is no limit to the number of compound and solution databases that may appear in the database list although no more than 8 of each type can be connected at a given time.

    Compound

  • in addition to entering data as Cp(T) there is a new option to enter data as G(T).
  • a new mixer option enables you to create data on a new (possible hypothetical) species by mixing data on existing species. For example K2C2(s) data are missing but data on Na2C2(s) are known (FACT compound database). K2C2(s) could be formulated as Na2C2(s) + 2K(s) - 2Na(s). By pointing and clicking you can build the new species (K2C2(s)) by adding (Na2C2(s), 2K(s)) and removing (2Na(s)) known species in the mixer box. In this manner it takes less then one minute to synthesize a new compound. You can then tie down say the Delta H(formation, 298.15 K) if this value is known.

    Solution - the program is now more robust. This completes the development of this particular Solution module. In the future it will be replaced by a completely new module.

    Predom and EpH

  • the non-isothermal diagram option has been dropped (use program Phase Diagram instead)
  • you can generate both View Figure or Figure (new) figures.

    Equilib and Phase Diagram

  • Reactants & Components Windows: you can now enter any valid chemical species (containing up to 7 integer and non-integer elements) even when it is not stored in a database, that is you will no longer get the message No data for reactant ... . For example you could enter Cu1.5S3Ni0.7 (i.e. 1.5 Cu + 3 S + 0.7 Ni) as a species.
  • Selection Window: for compound species it is now possible to select all the gas, liquid, aqueous or solid species by pointing to the "+" cell in the top (header) row and clicking with the mouse-right-button. You may then, for example, make all these species dormant.
  • Selection Window: for compound species there is a new button Select ... that enables you to select or drop all species that contain particular elements. For example, in the CaO - SiO2 binary system you could select only those species that contain 'O'.
  • Selection Window: for ideal solutions of compound species you may now include mixing particles - for example in the sulphide mixture of FeS (1 particle) with Cu2S (2 particles). The Henrian activity coefficient for dilute species, log10(gamma) = A/TK + B, is now specified at the same time (it was a separate item).
  • Reactants Window: the database source (FACT, SGSL, etc.) may now be included in the output and figures.
  • Results Window: there is a new option of user-defined long pseudonyms (up to 24 characters) for solution phases in the output results and figures, for example: ASlag-liqu -> slag, FeLQ -> steel or hot_metal or very_hot_metal, FCC_A1 -> Fe(fcc) or Fe(fcc)_austenite.

    Equilib

  • Reactants Window: you can enter up to 32 (was 24) components (elements and electron phases)
  • Reactants Window: editing the Reactants Table has been improved. Also the table mode is automatically selected in the Menu Window when loading such a stored system.
  • Reactants Window: you can run macros (background jobs) that contain a variety of commands and variables. The macro processing feature is intended for experienced users. It enables you to run Equilib automatically as a background job by reading and executing commands stored in a macro file (*.MAC). For example, you can open (OPEN) a previously stored system (EQUI*.dat file), calculate (CALC) the equilibrium, and save (SAVE) the results in a results (*.RES), text (*.TXT), tabular (*.TAB) and Excel (*.XLS) file. You process a batch file (MyBatch.bat) via the shell command (SHELL MyBatch.bat), etc. Other commands are available. For details and sample files click on 'Files > Macro processing ...'
  • Menu Window: for Gulliver-Scheil cooling simulation in addition to the normal starting value of temperature, a second (lower temperature) value can also be specified to stop the simulation.
  • Results Window: a saved Stream may now also contain charged species (for example plasmas, spinels).
  • Results Window: there is improved access to Excel
  • Results Window: the FACT format output has been compressed and now permits longer names (ex: pseudonyms) to be listed.
  • Results Window: there is a new provision in the post-processor to plot moles (activity, mass, etc.) vs moles (activity, mass, etc.)
  • Results Window: all selected spreadsheet species and plotted species are now also stored when the system is stored. These settings and are not affected by changes in data.
  • Results Window: new options have been added to the 'Show Pages' menu. You can now delete pages (for example a calculation that did not converge) and swap pages (for example exchange the 2 pages associated with a 'transition' temperature for plotting purposes). Any such changes to the pages are maintained in a subsequent save to a results (*.res) file.

    Phase Diagram - the program is much more robust. You can now calculate phase diagrams that were not possible in the previous version - for example reciprocal salts, and multicomponent systems (more than 3) in a Gibbs triangle figure.

    Optimize - remains unchanged. In the future it will be replaced by a completely new module.

    Mixture - more robust. You may now edit streams that contain charged species (for example plasmas, spinels).

    Results - provision to plot moles (activity, mass, etc.) vs moles (activity, mass, etc.) or vs ratio (moles).

    View Figure - remains unchanged. This module gives a very efficient but crude display of a figure. It employs little computer memory and is useful for displaying several figures at the same time. However for high quality displays, editing and manipulating use the Figure module instead.

    Figure - many minor changes including you can now import figures calculated by the Predom and EpH programs.

    ChemSage Files

  • the importation of ChemSage files into the FactSage compound and solution databases is more robust.
  • the number of components can be up to 32 (it was 24).
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