Atomic disorder induced by mechanical milling in the intermetallic compound CoAl

Abstract

The stoichiometric intermetallic compound CoAl with the CsCl-structure was subjected to ball milling. Structural changes during ball milling were studied by measurements of the magnetization and the lattice parameter. The behaviour of Coal upon milling turns out to be quite similar to that of CoGa. The increase of the magnetization and the decrease of the lattice parameter with the milling time show that, similar to CoGa, triple-defect disorder is generated by ball milling. By comparing the measured magnetization to the magnetization of Co x Al 100− x compounds with excess Co, the concentration of defects is derived for milled samples. In order to interpret our results, the existing experimental data of lattice parameters, X-ray densities calculated from the lattice parameters and macroscopic densities for Co x Al 100− x compounds were analyzed according to Edelin's equations. The defect volumes for vacancies and anti-site atoms obtained by fitting these experimental data have reasonable values. By means of the defect concentrations obtained from our magnetization measurements and the defect volumes by fitting the experimental data, the change of the lattice parameter was calculated by means of Edelin's equation. The agreement between the calculated lattice parameter and the measured lattice parameter is quite satisfactory.