Structural evolutions of the Fe-40Al-5Cr powders during mechanical alloying and subsequent heat treatment

▶ The homogeneous nanocrystalline Fe-40Al-5Cr powders were synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) of the Fe, Al elemental powders and the Fe-20Cr prealloyed powders as Cr source. ▶ Diffusion of Al in Fe is faster than that of Al in Fe-20Cr alloy, Fe(Al) preferentially forms, so, the composition homogenization is proceeded via the interdiffusion between Al in Fe(Al) and Cr in Fe-Cr(Al) to form Fe(Al, Cr) as the final product. ▶ It was also found that the Fe-20Cr content in the Fe-40Al-5Cr powders prohibited the composition homogenization and ordering transformation of the powders during mechanical alloying and subsequent heat treatment.