616 ISSN 1070-4272, Russian Journal of Applied Chemistry, 2010, Vol. 83, No. 4, pp. 616−619. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2010. Original Russian Text © T.F. Grigor’eva, A.I. Ancharov, S.A. Kovaleva, A.P. Barinova, K.D. Becker, V. Šepelákc, N.Z. Lyakhov, 2010, published in Zhurnal Prikladnoi Khimii, 2010, Vol. 83, No. 4, pp. 564−567. PHYSICOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES Study of the Chemical Interaction between Mechanochemically Synthesized Cu/Bi Nanocomposites and Liquid Gallium T. F. Grigor’eva a , A. I. Ancharov a , S. A. Kovaleva b , A. P. Barinova a , K. D. Becker c , V. Šepelák c , and N. Z. Lyakhov a a Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia b Joint Institute of Machine Building, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus c Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Braunschweig, Germany Received April 28, 2009 Abstract—The phase composition and morphology of the diffusion-hardened compound containing Cu/Bi mechanocomposite with nanoscale metals and liquid gallium were examined by synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction, as well as by atomic force and electron microscopic techniques. DOI: 10.1134/S1070427210040087 Modern industry needs innovative adhesives for joining materials of different physical nature (metals, glass, ceramics, plastics, wood), intended for application under extreme conditions of high temperatures, high vacuum, etc. Also, such compounds should possess good thermal and electrical conductivities. These requirements are met by diffusion-hardened compounds based on copper–liquid gallium interaction [1]. In this context, the initial compositions should meet specific requirements in terms of hardening rate, and the resulting compound, in terms of mechanical and physical properties. Considering the above-said, it was suggested to use mechanocomposites with nanosized copper- based grains as solid-phase component, and gallium or gallium-containing eutectics with low melting point, as liquid-phase component. Here, we consider the interaction between mechano- chemically synthesized copper/bismuth composites and liquid gallium. EXPERIMENTAL The composites were prepared by mixing gallium [GOST (State Standard) 12797–77], PMS-1 copper powder, and bismuth [TU (Technical Specifications) 6-09-3616–82], followed by mechanical activation in a water-cooled AGO-2 high-intensity planetary ball mill in an argon atmosphere (drum volume 250 cm 3 , ball diameter 5 mm, load 200 g, weighed portion of sample 10 g, speed of rotation of drums around common axis 1000 rpm). Immediately before examinations the powdered mechanocomposite was mixed with gallium molten at T ~ 35ºC (mass ratio 1 : 0.7). Further manipulations (sample fixing, instrument adjusting, and image recording) were carried out at room temperature. Before taking the AFM images the samples were kept at room temperature for at least 24 hours. ”In situ” diffraction studies were conducted at the fourth SR beamline station of the VEPP-3 storage ring, Siberian Synchrotron Radiation Center, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences. A thin (0.4 × 0.4-mm) X-ray beam (mono- chromatic radiation, λ = 0.3686 Å) passed through the sample layer and gave a diffraction pattern recorded by an MAR345 (Marresearch) 2D flat-panel image plate detector [2, 3].