NANOCOMPOSITE FORMATION AND SIZE-REDUCTION OF TERFENOL-D PARTICLES DURING MECHANICAL MILLING

Mechanical milling of Terfenol-D (Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe1.97) was conducted unde r both dry and wet conditions. Nanoparticles of Terfenol-D were produc ed by mechanical milling, where Terfenol-D polycrystalline bulk sample s were ball milled under argon atmosphere. Size reduction was found to be the main result of the dry mechanical milling. The magnetization a nd coercivity of the milled sample correlated with the particle size. Different results were obtained when using wet grinding. Nanocomposite of (Dy,Tb)(2)O-3-Fe was found to form via the decomposition of (Tb0.3 Dy0.7Fe1.97) and the formation of rare earth oxides.