Role of Mixing and Milling in Mechanochemical Synthesis (Review)

Selected topics of inorganic mechanochemical synthesis are discussed. Variant mechanochemical syntheses are considered. The ex situ and in situ/operando methods to monitor the process are discussed. Methods for controlling the yield and kinetics of the mechanochemical synthesis are considered. The challenges and possible ways to address them are discussed. Thermal and mechanochemical syntheses are compared, with a special focus on mixing and milling processes. We consider the effects of various types of mechanical treatment on individual particles and on their mixtures. A special attention is paid to the macrokinetics of mechanochemical synthesis and its role in mixing and milling. The basic assumptions that render a mathematical model capable of describing the macrokinetics of mechanochemical synthesis in solid + reactive gas and solid + solid systems are written.