A novel process for synthesizing nano-ceramics powders, named mechanical & therm al activation processing, is discussed in the present paper. It is a processing based on thermal activation in liquid phase (molten salt) after mechanical activ ation. The nanometer-sized TiC particles (15-20nm) have been synthesized by the method, and analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscop e (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersion X-ray (EDX) sp ectroscopy. An interface interaction between liquid (molten salt) and solid (fin al product particles) phases plays a dominating role for the control of product particles size. The mechanism for the formation of nanometer-sized TiC particles has been discussed.
The cryogenic milling and milling in conjunction with dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP) have been separately set up. The combined effect of low temperature and plasma on ball milling has been investigated by examining the refinement of particle size and grain size of iron powder using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and small angle X-ray scattering. It was found that the mean size of iron particles could reach 104nm only after 10 hours of ball milling in conjunction with DBDP, whereas a minimum average grain size of 8.4nm was obtained by cryomilling at -20℃; however, it is difficult to refine the particle size and grain size under the same milling condition in the absence of DBDP and cryogenic temperature.
Magnesium-neodymium based alloys were prepared by induction melting in an alumina crucible under protection of pure argon atmosphere. XRD patterns show that the as-melted Mg-Nd and Mg3NdNi0.1 diffraction peaks can be excellently indexed with D03 structure (BiF3 type, space group Fm3m). The lattice constant of Mg3Nd phase is 0.7390 nm, which is determined by XRD analysis using Cohen′s extrapolation method. The reversible hydrogen storage capacity reaches 1.95wt.% for Mg3Nd and 2.68wt.% for Mg3NdNi0.1. The desorption of hydrogen takes place at 291 ℃ for Mg3Nd and at 250 ℃ for Mg3NdNi0.1. The alloys could absorb hydrogen at room temperature with rapid hydriding and dehydriding kinetics after only one cycle. The enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) of Mg3Nd-H dehydriding reaction were -68.2 kJ·mol-1 H2 and -0.121 kJ·(K·mol)-1 H2 determined by using van′t Hoff plot according to the pressure-composition-isotherms (P-C-I) curve measured at different temperatures. Hydrogen absorption kinetic property of Mg3NdNi0.1 alloy was also measured at room temperature.
