AMORPHOUS ALLOY FORMATION BY MECHANICAL ALLOYING AND CONSECUTIVE HEAT-TREATMENT IN FE50B50 POWDER MIXTURE

Equiatomic composition powder mixture of pure Fe and B was mechanically alloyed in a controlled atmosphere vibration mill. Amorphous alloy phase formation was established by Mössbauer spectroscopy and by transmission electron microscopy. The variation of the average boron concentration and the homogeneity of the amorphous phase during the alloying process was followed by Mössbauer spectroscopy. At the early stage of the milling process a broad concentration distribution (from 20 to 50 at. % B) was observed. Upon further milling the average B concentration of the amorphous component was gradually enhanced and the concentration heterogeneity decreased. The B concentration of the amorphous phase could be further enhanced by heat treating the milled powder mixture. The highest boron content alloy attained in this study is Fe 60B40. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.