Structural evolution of an Al–Te mixture during ball milling

An Al–Te mixture was mechanically alloyed with a planetary ball mill, and the structural evolution of the Al–Te mixture during ball milling was characterized by X-ray diffractiometry (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermodynamic computation. Although crystalline α-Al2Te3 was synthesized in the initial stage of milling, but the final product is a metastable Al2Te3 − δ (Space group: Fm 3¯m) with lattice parameter a = 5.925 Å. The metastable Al2Te3 − δ decomposes into Al and Te at about 140 °C.