The character of the mechanically induced structural disorder and natu
re of the metastability of mechanosynthesized zinc ferrite are elucida
ted by investigation of its structure, Attention is concentrated on th
e explanation of an origin of mechanically induced changes in magnetic
properties of the nanoscale mechanosynthesized ferrite. The range of
thermal stability of mechanically induced metastable states is determi
ned by studying the response of the metastable mechanosynthesized zinc
ferrite to changes in temperature. (C) 1998 Academic Press.