Transformations in oxides - Dry and wet mechanochemical processes

In the past few years mechanochemistry has proved to be an exciting technique for modification of existing materials and the synthesis of new materials. For example, a broad range of ceramics and ceramic-metal composites, amorphous and nanocrystalline alloys as well as high temperature phases of nitrides, carbides and silicides have been produced by high energy ball milling, with one of the main developments being the mechanochemistry of oxide materials. An overview of the morphological, structural and stoichiometric changes which take place on dry and wet milling a variety of oxides is presented. Among the systems studied are ZnFe2O4, BaFe12O19, alpha-Fe2O3 and TiO2.