Preparation of some metal phosphides by ball milling

Abstract Mechanochemical reactions were investigated in the Ni–P and Al–P systems. At the Ni80P20 composition, the product is either an amorphous alloy or a mixture of crystalline phosphides, depending on the milling intensity. The reaction turns into a self-sustaining process between 25 and 40 at.% phosphorus. Surprisingly, the much more exothermic formation of AlP takes place as a gradual process.