REDUCTION OF HEMATITE WITH CARBON BY ROOM-TEMPERATURE BALL MILLING

The solid state reduction of haematite (alpha-Fe2O3) to mainly nanocrystalline wustite by room temperature dry ball milling of haematite and carbon, in an inert atmosphere, is described. In addition to wustite, a smaller amount of nanocrystalline magnetite is also formed, possibly by a disproportionation reaction of wustite. The reaction is completed in about 70 h in a Spex vibratory ball mill. Haematite alone is converted by dry milling for 70 h into nanocrystalline magnetite with an average crystallite size of 10 nm as shown by X-ray diffraction and Mossbauer spectroscopy.