APPLICATION OF MECHANICAL ALLOYING TO CHEMICAL REFINING

Since its discovery the process of mechanical alloying has demonstrate d significant potential for the synthesis of materials with novel stru ctures and properties. In this paper recent studies of the application of mechanical alloying to solid state refining processes are reviewed . These studies show that mechanical alloying enables displacement rea ctions, which conventionally require high temperatures to be thermally activated, to be mechanically activated during milling in a ball mill at ambient temperatures. It is shown that mechanical alloying can pro vide the basis of a single stage process which combines the separate p rocesses of refining, alloying and powder manufacture. Of particular i nterest is the application of the process to the synthesis of rare ear th permanent magnet materials.