X-ray diffraction, microstructure, Mössbauer and magnetization studies of nanostructured Fe50Ni50 alloy prepared by mechanical alloying

Nanocrystalline Fe50Ni50 alloy samples were prepared by the mechanical alloying process using planetary high-energy ball mill. The alloy formation and different physical properties were investigated as a function of milling time, t, (in the 0–50 h range) by means of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX), Mössbauer spectroscopy and the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The complete formation of γ-FeNi is observed after 24 h milling. When milling time increases from 0 to 50 h, the lattice parameter increases towards the Fe50Ni50 bulk value, the grain size decreases from 67 to 13 nm, while the strain increases from 0.09% to 0.41%. Grain morphologies at different formation stages were observed by SEM. Saturation magnetization and coercive fields derived from the hysteresis curves are discussed as a function of milling time.