Kinetics of crystallite size evolution by ball milling

Abstract

One of the distinguishing features of mechanochemical treatment is crystallite size reduction. The crystallite size of the powder subjected to milling decreases to some minimal value characteristic for the given material. Two processes occur concurrently during milling: reduction of the crystallite size and grain growth, whereby the steady-state crystallite size is attained when the rates of these processes are in equilibrium. This study deals with the kinetics of crystallite size evolution by milling. Published experimental data were analyzed using three kinetic models: dr/dt=-k1r2 + k2r-1; dr/dt=-k1r3 + k2r and dr/dt=-nktn-1(r - rs), where r and rs are the crystallite radius and steady-state crystallite radius respectively, t time, k1 and k2 the rate constants of crystallite reduction and grain growth, respectively, k the rate constant and n the Avrami exponent. The applied kinetic relations describe the crystallite size dependence on milling time in a satisfactory manner.