Different Pathways of Phase Transition in a V–Si System Driven by Mechanical Alloying

Solid state reactions induced by mechanical alloying of an elemental powder mixture of V and Si with a composition of V75Si25 were investigated using X-ray diffraction and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the phase transitions in this system are closely related to the milling intensity. High-energy milling mainly causes the formation of intermetallic compounds, whereas low-energy milling leads to amorphization. The thermodynamics and kinetics related to the different pathways of V–Si phase transition are briefly discussed in this paper. The effect of air contamination on phase transition is also addressed.