In order to investigate the formation of AlN, mechanical alloying was carried out in and atmosphere. Differential thermal analysis (DTA), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and chemical analysis were carried out to examine the formation behavior of aluminum nitrides. No diffraction pattern of AlN was observed in XRD analysis of the as-milled powders in atmosphere. However, DTA and chemical analysis indicated that the precursors for AlN were formed in the Al powders milled in atmosphere. The AlN precursors transformed to AlN after heat treatment at and above . It was considered that the reaction between Al and was possible by the formation of fresh Al surface during mechanical alloying of Al powders.

The effect of the mechanical alloying of elemental Mo and Si powders on the combustion densification behavior of MoSi was investigated. The ignition temperature of the combustion reaction of the mechanically alloyed powder was measured to be significantly lower than that of the powder mixture prepared by the low energy ball milling process. The densification of the products after the combustion reaction under compressive pressure from the mechanically alloyed powders, however, was found to be poorer than that of the products from the ball milled powder.