Morteza Fallahi - School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran ۱۶۸۴۴, Iran
Mohammad Khoshghadam Pireyousefan - Nanotechnology Department, School of New Technologies, Iran University of Science & Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran, ۱۶۸۴۶-۱۳۱۱۴, Iran
Sadjad Sabzalian - School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran ۱۶۸۴۴, Iran
Mansour Soltanieh - School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran ۱۶۸۴۴, Iran

In this research, fabrication of Fe-TiC/Al2O3 nanocomposite from ilmenite-Al-C system was studied using mechanically activated powders. The effects of Al/C molar ratio and heat treatment temperature on synthesized products were investigated. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that for the system with Al/C:1/2.5 molar ratio and after ball-milling for 6h, the major formed phases were Fe and TiO2 during heat treatment at 990°C for 3h and the mechanical activation was inefficient. However, for the system with Al/C:2/1 molar ratio not only iron was reduced to some extent during ball milling process, but also the combustion reaction was completed and the Fe-TiC/Al2O3 nanocomposite was fabricated after heat treatment at 990ºC for 3h. The TiC and Al2O3 crystallite sizes were calculated to be 23 and 38 nm, respectively

nanocomposite, mechanical activation, combustion synthesis, ilmenite, aluminium