Abstract
High-energy ball milling has been performed on Al x V1−x powder mixtures in the Al-rich range of composition (x = 0.61, 0.70, 0.75, 0.85 and 0.90). The structural evolution and the thermal stability of the samples was followed by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. We have observed that, similar to other Al-transition metal binary systems, the reaction rate decreases with increasing Al content and that milling promotes diffusion of both elements into each other; in fact for short times of milling Al(V) and V(Al) solid solutions have been observed at all investigated compositions. With the exception of the Al-richest composition, several metastable phases have been observed to nucleate in the early stages of milling. In a broad range of composition around the stoichiometric ratio extended milling promotes the formation of the Al3V intermetallic compound in a heavily strained nanocrystalline state. Upon heating of pre-milled samples to 360°C the disappearance of the metastable phases and the formation of a significant amount of the compound Al3V has been observed at every composition and for all investigated milling times. The formation of Al8V5, Al23V4 and Al10V has been observed upon heating to higher temperatures pre-milled samples containing 61, 85 and 90 at. % Al.