Ball-Milling Stimulated Mechanochemical Processes in the System “Titanium-Toluene”

The present work deals with the investigation of the transformations of the solid and liquid phases at high energy planetary ball milling of toluene together with titanium powder. The sequence of structural toluene transformations using FT-IR spectroscopy was investigated. Phase constitutions and morphology of ball milled titanium powders were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. It is shown that mechanically induced destruction of toluene occurs by the mechanism of catalytic cracking. During ball milling, concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons in the liquid phase decreases, at the same time the content of alkenes, cycloalkanes, and isoalkanes increases. The main solid products of the mechanosynthesis were cubic and hexagonal titanium carbo-hydrides.Evolution of lattice parameters, crystallites sizes, and micro-stresses of the solid phases during ball milling as a function of the mechanical energy dose have been discussed.