Evolution of Fe environments and phase composition during mechanical amorphization of Fe70Zr30 and Fe70Nb30 alloys

Amorphous Fe-Zr and Fe-Nb alloys with 70 at.% Fe have been prepared by ball milling a mixture of elemental powders. The combination of Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry techniques supplies detailed information about the composition as well as microstructural parameters of remaining crystalline and amorphous phases developed during milling. Detailed analysis of the Fe environments allows us to distinguish Fe atoms in paramagnetic sites between those incorporated to crystalline Zr or Nb rich phases and those Fe atoms in amorphous phase.