Mechanical alloying of Fe and Zn: Phase analysis and Mossbauer studies

Crystalline Fe25Zn75 powder alloys (Gamma(1) phase) have been prepared by mechanical alloying of pure elemental powders. A crystalline Fe27.9Zn72.1 alloy (Gamma phase) was obtained after adequate annealing. The Mossbauer spectra at room temperature displayed three doublets before annealing, corresponding to iron atoms located at the outer tetrahedral, inner tetrahedral and octahedral sites in the unit cell of Fe25Zn75. For the annealed sample, two doublets associated with iron atoms located at two tetrahedral inequivalent sites in the unit cell of Fe27.9Zn72.1 were observed. This Gamma(1)-to-Gamma-phase transition was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Mossbauer spectroscopy measurements.