Microstructural transformation of vanadium pentoxide powder obtained by high-energy vibrational ball-milling

An X-ray powder profile analysis of vanadium pentoxide powder milled in a high-energy vibrational ball-mill is presented. The strain- and size-induced broadening of the Bragg reflection for two different crystallographic directions ([001] and [100]) were determined by Warren–Averbach (WA) analysis, using a pattern-decomposition method assuming a pseudo-Voigt function. The deformation process causes a decrease in the domain size, and a near isotropic saturation value of ∼10 nm is reached after severe milling. The initial stages of milling produce a propensity for size broadening, whereas, with increasing milling time, microstrain broadening is predominant. WA analysis indicated significant plastic strain along with spatial confinement of the internal strain fields, probably in the crystallite interfaces. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a drastic change in particle shape after 64 h of milling, indicating the existence of size anisotropy which, however, decreased with further increase of the milling time.