Nanoparticles obtained from mechanically alloyed and heat treated cobalt carbide

The main purpose of this work was to produce nanoparticles of cobalt with no agglomeration using mechanical alloying and heat treatments. Mechanical Alloying (MA) was used to prepare cobalt carbide by milling of pure elemental powders of cobalt and carbon soot, in a high-energy rotatory mill under an Ar atmosphere. The nanocrystalline cobalt carbide was used to produce cobalt nanoparticles, by means of heating for 20 minutes at 800°C and 1000°C. Microstructural characterisation of the as-milled and heat-treated powders was performed using XRD, TEM and HRTEM techniques. It was possible to obtain cobalt nanoparticles embedded in carbon soot, from this type of process.