Microstructural characterisation of Fe–Cr–P–C powder mixture prepared by ball milling

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds 2005-02, Vol.388 (1), p.41-48
• Main Authors: Bensebaa, N., Alleg, S., Bentayeb, F.Z., Bessais, L., Grenèche, J.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amorphous structure; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Magnetic properties of nanostructures; Magnetic resonances and relaxations in condensed matter, mössbauer effect; Materials science; Materials synthesis; materials processing; Mössbauer effect; other γ-ray spectroscopy; Mössbauer spectroscopy; Physics
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2004.06.075

In an attempt to prepare amorphous Fe 77Cr 4P 8C 11 alloy by mechanical alloying, powder mixtures of Fe, Cr, P and C (activated carbon) with a purity of 99.9% have been ball milled, under argon atmosphere for several periods up to 90 h, in a planetary ball mill (Fritsch P7). The structure and microstructure of the milled powders have been characterised, as a function of milling time, by X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectrometry. During the first stage of milling (up to 12 h), detailed analyses of the diffraction patterns and the Mössbauer spectra reveal a complete dissolution of the elemental powders and the formation of Fe x P (1 < x < 2), Fe 3P phosphides and Fe 3C carbide in addition to α-(Fe,Cr) phase. The amorphous like state is reached after 32 h of milling. Further milling leads to the appearance of new carbides such as (Fe,Cr) 7C 3 and ɛ′-Fe 2.2C with the phosphide (Fe,Cr) 3P type phase embedded in the amorphous matrix.