Solid-solution nanocrystallite formation by high-energy milling

Solid-solution nanocrystalline powders were prepared by the high-energy milling of Ti alloys with graphite. The B1 structure (NaCl-like structure) phases, (Ti, Cr)C and (Ti, Al)C, were formed during the milling process of Ti-Cr+graphite and Ti-Al+graphite, and the synthetic procedures were investigated in terms of the phase evolution from XRD data. The (Ti, Al)C phase was obtained after milling for 20 hr at BPR = 40:1 (under a more severe condition), while the (Ti, Cr)C phase formed after milling for 20 hr at BPR = 20:1 (a relatively soft condition). The difference in the tendency to create a solid solution with Ti in the B1 structure caused a difference in the synthetic behavior of (Ti, Al)C and (Ti, Cr)C. In other words, (Ti, Cr)C is formed earlier than (Ti, Al)C during milling because the atomic size of Cr (0.166 nm) is similar to that of Ti (0.176 nm), which leads to the straightforward formation of the solid-solution (Ti, Cr)C as compared to when (Ti, Al)C is used. As a result, the crystallite size of the (Ti, Al)C phase (2~3 nm) synthesized at a later stage becomes smaller than that of the (Ti, Cr)C phase (5~10 nm) formed at an earlier stage during milling.