Structural changes occurring in the crystalline element selenium upon
high-energy ball milling has been studied. Milling experiments have be
en performed at the ambient temperature and at a cryogenic temperature
of -100 degrees C, respectively. The final milling products under bot
h conditions were found to be a fully amorphous phase after several ho
urs of mechanical milling. Calorimetric evidences indicate that during
cryogenic-temperature milling amorphization procedure is faster than
that at ambient temperature. Our experimental results suggest that amo
rphization of the crystalline element selenium is driven by defects cr
eated by frequent mechanical deformation.