Synthesis of Fe-N Nanosized Powders by Pulsed Wire Discharge

Fe-N nanosized powders were prepared by pulsed wire discharge (PWD). The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results of XRD revealed that the powder synthesized in N 2 gas was α-Fe, while that synthesized in N 2 /NH 3 mixed gas was a mixture of α-Fe, γ-Fe, and γ'-Fe 4 N. The XRD relative intensity ratios of α-Fe to γ'-Fe 4 N and γ-Fe increased with a decrease in the total gas pressure. The energy deposited in the Fe wire before explosion decreased significantly with a decrease in total gas pressure. The number of submicron-sized particles observed by TEM decreased with an increase in total gas pressure.