Preparation of Ni/Al2O3 nanocomposite powder by high-energy ball milling and subsequent heat treatment

The preparation of Ni/Al2O3 nanocomposite powder by high-energy ball milling and subsequent heat treatment was investigated. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were employed to monitor the phase development. Elemental Al and NiO reacted at ambient temperature during milling process and resulted in the formation of nanosized Ni particles within 10 h of milling. After annealing at 1400 °C for 1 h, the powder mixture milled for 15 h consisted of Al2O3 and nanosized Ni particles.