The mechanism of mechanical alloying of MoSi₂

An incubation time exists for the formation of MoSi₂ by mechanical alloying (MA). For the particular milling conditions employed, the bulk of MoSi₂ formation occurs between 3 h and 12 min and 3 h and 13 min. This abrupt formation of MoSi₂ during MA suggests that the reaction occurs by a form of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS), when a critical amount of stored energy (in the form of interfacial energy and cold work) is introduced by MA, and increases the adiabatic reaction temperature sufficiently to make the reaction self-sustaining.