Effect of Ambient Atmosphere on Defect Generation in MgO during Mechanical Activation

As previous studies have shown (Spitsyn et al.; Henderson, Wertz; Steinike et al. 1981, 1984; Hennig et al.), mechanical activation of MgO in air results in the generation of anion and cation vacancies in the lattice, thus causing heterogeneous lattice distortions. These anion and cation vacancies are identified as F+‐ and V−‐centres, respectively, by EPR spectroscopy. F+‐centres are anion vacancies filled with electrons, V−‐centres are cation vacancies filled with holes. The electrons and defect electrons filling the vacancies are generated essentially during γ‐irradiation. Since the effect of the ambient atmosphere on the generation of electronic and structural defects upon mechanical activation is known (Bystrikov et al.), the studies of mechanical MgO activation in air were extended to the generation of above defects in an argon atmosphere. The results are compared with those obtained in air.