Formation of nanometric TiB₂ from TiO₂

Titanium diboride can be produced by ball-milling a mixture of TiO₂, B₂O₃, and Mg metal for between 10 and 15 h. The reaction was found to be completed during the milling with no evidence of residual Mg. The unwanted phase, MgO, was readily removed by leaching in acid. The leached powder obtained after 15 h milling had a particle size of <200 nm and was highly faceted. The particle size decreased to approx. 50 nm after 100 h milling and seemed to be relatively nondisperse. Scherrer calculation of the crystallite size showed that the product particles were probably single crystal.