Mechanical alloying in the Fe–Cu system

The studies of mechanical alloying on the Fe–Cu system, as a model system for those with positive heats of mixing, are reviewed. Several problems involved in the mechanical alloying process are discussed. For example, (1) whether alloying occurs on an atomic level; (2) what the solid solubility in the Fe–Cu system is; (3) where the positive energy is stored in the alloys; (4) what the decomposition process of the supersaturated alloys is; and (5) what type of magnetic properties the new materials have. The elucidation of these problems will shed light on the understanding of the mechanisms for the preparation of materials under highly non-equilibrium conditions in systems with positive heats of mixing by mechanical alloying.