Extreme conditions for ball milling were created in order to have a complete friction mechanical milling/alloying mode: the vials were fulfilled with milling balls having almost 100% filling degree and so the shock collisions were avoided and the powder were processed only by mechanical energy transferred by friction. Nanocrystalline Ni3Fe powder has been obtained from elemental powders using the above mentioned specific conditions. The influence of friction mode on the formation of Ni3Fe intermetallic compound was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particles size analysis and magnetic measurement. The Ni3Fe intermetallic compound was completely formed after 50 h of milling in this extreme friction milling mode and it is in nanocrystalline state with a mean crystallites size of 8 nm. The spontaneous magnetization increases by progressive formation of the Ni3Fe intermetallic compound, due to the iron magnetic moment enhancing by the Ni atoms vicinity. (C) 2016 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.