STRUCTURAL EVOLUTION OF FE+FE2O3 DURING MECHANICAL MILLING

The evolution of structure during the mechanical milling of the Fe + F e2O3 mixture has been studied. Magnetite, Fe3O4, was initially formed after milling for short times. Nearly single-phase wustite, FeO, was f ound after milling for 30 h or longer. The kinetics of the phase trans formations was studied by X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer spectroscopy an d magnetic measurement. Nanocrystalline wustite formed during mechanic al milling, decomposed into nanocrystalline Fe3O4 and Fe after anneali ng at 200-500 degrees C. Annealing at higher temperatures resulted in reformation of the wustite phase. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.