Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis of intermetallide/oxide nanocomposite powders using mechanocomposite precursors

It was found that mechanical activation of a mixture containing iron, aluminum, and oxide iron resulted in mechanochemical reduction of iron oxide and formation of a Fe/Al/Al$_2$O$_3$ nanostructural mechanocomposite. High-temperature self-propagating synthesis (SHS) using this composite as a precursor yielded a FeAl/Al$_2$O$_3$ composite, which retained the morphology and dimensional characteristics of the precursor. During mechanical activation of a mixture of iron, aluminum, and chromium oxide, complete reduction of the latter did not occur but SHS also led to the formation of an intermetallide/oxide nanocomposite, in which chromium atoms were incorporated in the structure of iron aluminide.