Mossbauer probe spectroscopy studies of initial stage of Al-Fe mechanical alloying

The initial stage of mechanical alloying (MA) in a binary mixture of powdered Al and Fe-57 in an atomic ratio of 99: 1 has been studied using X-ray diffraction and Fe-57 Mossbauer probe spectroscopy. The proposed microscopic model of MA includes the formation of a nanostructured state (similar to 15 nm) in FCC Al, the penetration of Fe atoms across Al grain boundaries, and the formation of isolated Fe atoms and Fe-Al clusters in boundary distorted zones of Al matrix interface similar to the local atomic environment in deformed Al6Fe and Al9Fe2 phases. Based on the published data, it is assumed that with increasing Fe concentration in the initial mixture, and, correspondingly, increasing amount of clusters, distorted FCC interface regions are transformed into amorphous phase.