Preparation and characterization of nanoboron by cryo-milling

Abstract Cryo-milling of coarse micron grade elemental boron powder was investigated for possible generation of nanosized boron powder. Process parameters were optimized for the least contamination and least particle size. The as-milled powders were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) for powder morphology, average particle size, and phase analysis. The particle size and surface area were also estimated using dynamic laser scattering (DLS) and BET techniques to correlate with the performance of the material. Thermo-gravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) studies were performed to ascertain mass change and energy release in unmilled and milled powder. The average particle size of boron powder after 9 h of cryo-milling was