Structure and properties of nanocrystalline Cu 70Fe 18Co 12 obtained by mechanical alloying

• Published in: Journal of non-crystalline solids Vol. 353; no. 18; pp. 2090 - 2093
• Main Authors: Laslouni, Warda, Taibi, Kamel, Dahmoun, Djaffar, Azzaz, Mohamed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 2007
• Subjects: Alloys; Mechanical alloying; Mössbauer effect and spectroscopy; Scanning electron microscopy; X-ray diffraction; Scanning electron microscopy; 81.07.Bc; Alloys; Mössbauer effect and spectroscopy; X-ray diffraction; Mechanical alloying; 73.63.Bd
• ISSN: 0022-3093; 1873-4812
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2007.01.072

Cu 70Fe 18Co 12 alloy is prepared by mechanical alloying of pure Cu, Fe, Co powder using a high energy ball mill, with increasing milling time ranging from 4 to 8, 24, 36 and 54 h. The variation of the morphology and the elemental distribution were measured at these different stages on various grains of the alloy using a scanning electron microscope with a dispersive energy analyzer. Atomic clusters of iron were observed on some grains after 8 h of milling, confirming the non-homogenisation of the powder at this stage. Beyond 12 h, the homogenisation is ensured over a volume of one cube micron. Microstructural changes during the mechanical alloying have been studied by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Mössbauer spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction measurements confirm the dissolution of iron and cobalt phases in the FCC matrix of copper after 24 h of milling with increase of the structural parameter. This same dissolution was also measured by Mössbauer spectroscopy, confirming that after 4 h of milling the CuFe phase begins to form and iron dissolution is incomplete with partial amount of alpha Fe phase surviving after 36 h of milling.