Mechanical alloying process of Fe-Cr powders studied by magnetic measurements

A mechanical alloying process for a mixture of elemental Fe and Cr powders with the Cr compositions 20–70 at. % was investigated through the measurements of x-ray diffraction, magnetization, and 57Fe Mössbauer spectrum. We show that magnetic studies provide more detailed information about the alloying process occurring during ball milling than the conventional diffraction techniques in this particular system. A final product after ball milling was identified as a high-temperature phase of the solid solution, regardless of compositions studied. Powders subjected to milling in Ar gas atmosphere for 200 h were further ball milled in N2 atmosphere. The presence of N2 gas has caused a partial amorphization. The amorphous phase thus produced is found to be paramagnetic at room temperature. Journal of Applied Physics is copyrighted by The American Institute of Physics