Synthesis and characterization of mono- and di-antimonide with the first transition metals in group 8B by mechanical alloying

Mono- and di-anitimonide compounds between antimony and the first transition metals in group 8B were synthesized by mechanical alloying method. All samples were investigated by the X-ray powder diffraction technique and differential thermal analysis. The single phase can be obtained only for CoSb, NiSb and CoSb2 compounds. In this investigation, a single phase of a marcasite structure (FeSb2 and NiSb2) and Fe0.56Sb0.44 compound cannot be detected in the XRD patterns after 60 h of milling because of the instability of their structures at low temperature. They decomposed to their starting materials as seen by the characteristic peaks of the starting materials in the XRD patterns after 60 h of milling.