Synthesis of Aluminum Diboride by Thermal Explosion in Mechanically Activated Mixtures of Initial Reactants

Single-phase aluminum diboride was obtained by thermal explosion of an aluminum-boron mixture mechanically activated in a planetary ball mill. The additional mechanical treatment of the products of thermal explosion was found to reduce the coherent scattering area size of AlB2 to nanometer values. The results of x-ray phase and electron microscopy of the mechanocomposites and products of thermal explosion are presented.