Interaction of Molybdenum with Boron at an Atomic Ratio of 1 : 2 in an Equimolar NaCl–KCl Melt at 750°C

The interaction of molybdenum with amorphous boron at an atomic ratio of 1 : 2 in a hydrogen atmosphere for 15–30 h at 750°C in an ionic melt of composition 50 mol % NaCl : 50 mol % KCl leads to the formation of a mixture of nanocrystalline α-MoB and Mo2B5 phases with crystallite sizes of approximately 38 and 32 nm, respectively. The α-MoB phase crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal system with unit cell parameters a = 0.311 nm and c = 1.695 nm, whereas the Mo2B5 phase crystallizes in the rhombohedral crystal system with unit cell parameters a = 0.301 nm and c = 2.093–2.094 nm.