Eur. Phys. J. Plus (2015) 130: 72
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2015-15072-x

Regular Article

Stacking faults and structural characterization of mechanically alloyed Ni₅₀Cu₁₀(Fe₂B)₁₀P₃₀ powders

¹ Laboratoire de Chimie Inorganique, Ur-11-ES-73, Université de Sfax, BP 1171, FSS, Tunisie
² Dep. de Fisica, Universitat de Girona, Campus Montilivi, 17071, Girona, Spain

^* e-mail: msrammeh@yahoo.fr

Received: 19 September 2014
Revised: 21 January 2015
Accepted: 15 March 2015
Published online: 16 April 2015

Abstract

The nanocrystalline NiCu(Fe₂B)P alloy was prepared by mechanically alloying of the elemental powders in a high-energy ball mill under argon atmosphere. The transformations occurring in the material during milling were studied by X-ray diffraction. Microstructure parameters, such as crystallite size, microstrains, stacking faults probability, and dislocations density were determined from the Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction patterns. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to examine the morphology of the samples as a function of milling times. On further milling (40h), a nanocrystalline matrix, where nanocrystalline Fcc-Ni(Cu, Fe, P), Fe₂B and Bcc-Fe(B) phases were embedded, was obtained. The phase transformations are related to the increase of dislocation and accumulation of stacking faults. The nanostructure formation caused by mechanical alloying are commonly attributed to the generation and movement of dislocations.