Investigation on structural, morphological and optical properties of 5% Fe-doped TiO2 powder nanostructures synthesized by mechanical alloying

XRD analysis revealed a gradual anatase-to-rutile transformation with milling, with Fe initially segregated and progressively incorporated into the TiO₂ lattice. Anatase–rutile coexistence was observed between 6 and 12 hours, and a full rutile phase appeared after 24-48 hours. Rietveld refinement showed decreasing crystallite size and increasing microstrain, indicating defect accumulation. SEM confirmed particle refinement and agglomeration, while FTIR identified functional groups typical of the TiO ₂ phase. Nanocrystalline TiO ₂ powders doped with 5 wt. % Fe were synthesized using the mechanical alloying (MA) technique, with milling durations ranging from 0 to 48 hours. This study aims to investigate the effect of milling time on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of the synthesized materials. A comprehensive characterization was carried out : X-ray diffraction (XRD) combined with Rietveld refinement using MAUD software was employed to examine phase evolution and crystallite size ; scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze particle morphology and agglomeration ; and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed to identify chemical bonding and functional groups.