Crystallization of amorphous Fe90 Zr10 induced by mechanical milling

Structural transformations induced by high-energy ball-milling were studied in this work. It was found that amorphous Fe₉₀Zr₁₀ ribbons undergo crystallization into BCC alpha-Fe(Zr) under milling in a high-energy planetary ball-mill. The structural evolution of melt-spun amorphous Fe₉₀Zr₁₀ ribbons under different milling conditions and high-pressure torsion was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements. Despite a considerable difference in the local temperatures for high-energy and low-energy ball millings, cryomilling (under liquid nitrogen-cooling), and high-pressure torsion, amorphous Fe₉₀Zr₁₀ crystallizes into a supersaturated alpha-Fe(Zr) solid solution in all cases. Local heating occurring under high-and low-energy millings only plays a minor role and leads to aslight shift of the crystallization products towards equilibrium state. Mechanical deformation was established as the primary cause of crystallization of the amorphous Fe-Zr alloys under ball milling.