Abstract
The nanocrystalline Fe60Al35Sn5 alloy was produced from elemental powders in a high-energy ball mill. A full microstructural analysis and morphologic characterization of powder samples were performed by X-ray diffraction experiments and scanning electron microscopy as a function of milling time (0–60 h). The microstructure analysis of the microstructure of milled powders is focused on the evolution of the grain size, lattice strain and dislocations density. Experimental results demonstrated that a bcc-Fe (Al, Sn) solid solution with a mean crystallite size about 16 nm was achieved. In addition, the thermal behavior of the milled powders was examined by differential scanning calorimetry.
•Analysis of the influence of minor Sn addition to Fe-Al nanocrystalline alloy produced by ball milling.•The single phase of bcc-Fe (Al, Sn) was totally formed after 20 h.•At low milling times the coexistence of Fe and Fe-rich solid solution was found.