A critical evaluation and optimization of all available phase diagrams and thermodynamic data of the binary Si-RE (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd and Sm) systems were conducted to obtain reliable thermodynamic functions of all the phases in the systems. In the thermodynamic modelling, a systematic analysis involving the similarity and periodicity observed in the lanthanide series was applied to resolve inconsistencies in the experimental data and to estimate the unknown thermodynamic properties and phase equilibria data. The phase diagram of the Si-Sm system was predicted using this approach. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.