The effect of mechanical milling on the structure and magnetic properties of Fe₂Sc Laves phase

The Fe₂Sc intermetallic compound with C14 Laves phase structure was mechanically milled. The structural evolution and the change in atomic order were followed by X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The influence of mechanical milling on the magnetic properties was studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetization measurement. The results indicated that ball milling induced a partial chemical disorder followed by an amorphization. The partial chemical disorder and the amorphization lead to an increase in magnetic moment of Fe in the materials. The amorphous phase exhibits a ferromagnetic behavior with Curie temperature of about 250 K, which is much lower than that of 540 K for the original compound. The crystallization temperature of the amorphous phase is about 873 K, as determined by DSC measurement.