CHANGE OF LATTICE-PARAMETERS IN HIGHLY DISPERSE NICKEL POWDERS

A monotonous increase of the lattice parameters with the decrease of particle size is established by an X-ray study for highly disperse nickel powders in the interval of sizes from 4.9 to 35 nm. The relative changes of lattice parameters are from 4.9 x 10(-3) +/- 5 x 10(-4) up to 3 x 10(-4) +/- 1 x 10(-4). The effect is explained by the decrease of the intracrystalline pressure in small particles stipulated by electrostatic interaction of the elements of crystal charge lattice. A calculated dependence of the lattice parameters which agrees with experimental curve is obtained in the frameworks of the model suggested by the charge lattice represented by an ion-electron lattice of positive ions and collectivized electrons with regard of the lattice of atomic neutral cores (the contribution of the latter is proved very small as found from the calculations).