Production of Nano-crystalline Mg(Gd)2Ni-based Powder Using High Energy Ball Milling and Subsequent Heat Treatment

In the present work, high-energy milling technique using a planetary ball mill and subsequent annealing have been employed for the production of nano-crystalline powders based on Mg2Ni intermetallic compound. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used for the characterization of the milled products. Formation of Mg2Ni-based nanocrystallites occurred after 40 and 50h of milling using the initial binary and ternary powder mixtures with stoichiometric compositions of Mg2Ni and Mg1.8Gd0.2Ni, respectively. The calculated average Mg2Ni crystallitesize was ~8 nm at the ball to powder weight ratio of 20:1 after 60 h of milling and showed decreasing with increasing the milling time. Subsequent annealing of the milled product at a low milling time of 20 h resulted in the formation of the dominant Mg2Ni intermetallic compound.

Production of Nano-crystalline Mg(Gd)2Ni-based Powder Using High Energy Ball Milling and Subsequent Heat Treatment Keywords:

Mg2Ni , Ball Milling , Nano-crystallites , Heat treatment , Gd