Investigation of Amorphization of Nb-Si Alloys by Mechanical Alloying

Amorphous Nb_(62.5)Si_(37.5) and Nb_(75)Si_(25) alloys were produced from mixtures of elemental Nb and Si powders by mechanical alloying(MA).The structural changes of mechanically alloyed powders were monitored by x-ray diffraction.It was found that NbSi_(2),intermetallic compound was formed in the initial stage of MA of or Nb_(62.5)Si_(37.5) or Nb_(75)Si_(25) powders.With continued milling,the mixtures of intermetallic NbSi_(2) and elemental Nb transformed into amorphous Nb-Si alloys(Nb_(62.5)Si_(37.5) or Nb_(75)Si_(25)).The slow interdiffusion of Nb and Si and the slower diffusion of silicon atoms to niobium matrix than that of niobium atoms to silicon matrix were suggested to be responsible for the formation of intermetallic NbSi_(2).The amorphization of 3NbSi_(2)+7Nb mixtures(or NbSi_(2)+5Nb mixtures)is believed to be controlled by material transfer,which moves composition of line intermetallic NbSi2 off stoichiometry,and causes the matrix of elemental Nb deformed.