FORMATION OF PBTE INTERMETALLIC COMPOUND BY MECHANICAL ALLOYING OF ELEMENTAL PB AND TE POWDERS

The PbTe intermetallic compound could be fabricated by mechanical alloying of elemental Pb and Te powders for 2 minutes at ball-to-powder weight ratio of 2 : 1. The lattice parameter of PbTe processed by mechanical alloying, 0.6462 nm, was in excellent agreement with the value of 0.6458 nm which was reported for PbTe powder fabricated by melting and grinding. In situ observation of the abrupt temperature rise during the ball milling process indicated that the PbTe intermetallic compound was formed by a self-sustained reaction rather than by diffusional reactions. There was no tendency for PbTe crystalline powders to be amorphized by mechanical alloying. © 1994.