Mechanochemical synthesis: Mechanical and chemical factors

The mechanochemical synthesis was analyzed as the heterogenous solid-phase reaction, caused by the action of external mechanical forces. The efficiency of the process is controlled by two factors: chemical, G(0), and mechanical, A(S). A(S), J/m(2), which expresses the work required for the contact area formation, is sensitive to the mechanical strength of the reagents and of the intermediate products formed on the intergrain boundaries. The G(0) term, mol/J(m(2)/g), relates to the reaction probability at the contact zones and, all other factors being equal, depends on the size ratio: the smaller the size of the guest atom in the lattice of the host component, the larger the G(0) value.