Mechanical alloying process of vanadium powder with 1.7 wt.%Y addition

Alloying process of vanadium–yttrium powders using mechanical alloying (MA) method was studied. Vanadium powder was compressed after 10 h MA, while yttrium powder was comminuted into small particles. Although yttrium powder was broken into small particles, yttrium scarcely dissolves into vanadium powder. Alloying of yttrium started after 20 h MA and finished after 40 h MA. Molybdenum particle, which came from milling vessels and balls, mixed into vanadium powder after 40 h MA and molybdenum started to dissolve into vanadium powder after 60 h MA. After 80 h MA, Y2O3 particles formed in vanadium powder. Oxygen required for the formation of Y2O3 particles was probably discharged from the vessel wall and balls after flaking of those surface layers. Since prolonged MA caused powder contamination, optimum MA time for making V–1.7Y alloy was 40 h.