Synthesis and characterization of Fe3AlC0.5 by mechanical alloying

Double iron and aluminum carbides were prepared by mechanical alloying from elemental powders, with a ball-to-powder weight ratio 20:1. The samples were milled for 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 h. The alloy progress for each milling time was evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and 57Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy. Once the alloy was consolidated two sorts of paramagnetic sites and a magnetic distribution were detected according to the Moessbauer fit. The majority doublet could correspond to Fe3AlC0.5 carbide as X-ray diffraction suggest, and the other could be Fe3AlC0.69; the magnetic distribution corresponding to Fe3Al phase, Fe7C3 and Fe5C2 single carbides. The hyperfine parameters are reported.