Composite powder materials containing zirconia and iron oxide nanoparticles, as well as iron-zirconium intermetallic compounds, are of great interest for use as high-temperature functional coatings, in catalysis, and for medical and biotechnological purposes. In this work the influence of the forming local structure of particles during the mechanical activation of Fe/Zr and Fe₂O₃/(Fe/Zr) powder precursors on the microstructure of Fe₂O₃/Fe/Zr/ZrO₂ nanocomposites, synthesized in a SHS combustion mode, is investigated.

FeAl-based nanocomposite powders were prepared by mechanically activated SHS (MASHS) using Fe + Al + Fe₂O₃ and Fe + Al + Cr₂O₃ powder mixtures as starting materials. In both the cases, the synthesized powders were found to inherit the structural morphology of mechanocomposites (precursors) formed in the course of mechanical activation.