Role of interfacial structure in nanostructured elemental metals: a new thermo-mechanical process for the preparation of nanostructured binary alloys

In this article we present the first results obtained for nanostructured gamma-Ni20Zn80 alloy prepared by a thermo-mechanical (TM) process developed in our laboratory. The process uses the energy stored in the defect structure, generated via mechanical milling of the nickel, to accelerate the reaction in the solid state, allowing a more rapid alloy formation. The process presents several advantages, when compared with techniques currently used for the production of this class of materials. The X-ray diffraction pattern for the alloy produced by the TM process is compared with that measured for the same alloy, produced by the mechanical alloying technique. The results show that the TM process holds the potential to become a valuable alternative method for the production of nanostructured materials. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.