Phase Evaluation and its Hydrogen Correlation of the FeAl3 and FeAl2 Intermetallic Alloys during Mechanical Ball-Milling with Water

Abstract

FeAl3 and FeAl2 intermetallic alloys composition was produced by conventional casting technique. Typically these intermetallic alloys are susceptible to hydrogen environment embrittlement. In this process, water vapor in the air induced cleavage fracture of intermetallic alloys. In order to take advantage of this phenomenon, we evaluate the embrittlement reaction during ball-milling of the pre-alloyed intermetallic material and water under different milling times. During the corrosion reaction, the amount of hydrogen releases was correlated to the amount of aluminum hydroxide formation. The obtained results were based on X-ray diffraction and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. It was observed that as the milling time increased the amount of hydrogen liberated is increased. The intermetallic FeAl3 the 72.95 wt. % reacted with water and the hydrogen release was 0.7769 L and is near the theoretical values that can be obtained.