IDENTIFICATION BY DSC AND DTA OF THE OXYGEN AND CARBON CONTAMINATION DUE TO THE USE OF ETHANOL DURING MECHANICAL ALLOYING OF CU-FE POWDERS

Thermoanalytical methods (differential scanning calorimetry and differ ential thermal analysis)have been used in this work for characterizing Cu-Fe powder mixtures ball-milled with and without a liquid organic p hase (ethanol). The effect of chemical contamination (carbon and oxyge n)due to the use of ethanol is well evinced, as well as the benefit ef fect of ethanol on the surface properties of the powders (easier sinte ring). Strong and broad exothermic effects were observed during the de composition of the metastable supersaturated solid solutions formed du ring ball-milling.