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Nano‐TiC obtained through a reaction of MWCNTs with Zr(Y,Ti)O 2
Author(s) -
PYDA W.,
MORGIEL J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2009.03303.x
Subject(s) - materials science , crystallite , transmission electron microscopy , crystallization , microstructure , carbon nanotube , analytical chemistry (journal) , scanning electron microscope , nanorod , cubic zirconia , carbon fibers , chemical engineering , microanalysis , nanotechnology , composite material , composite number , ceramic , metallurgy , chemistry , organic chemistry , chromatography , engineering
Summary The zirconia nanopowder stabilized with 2.5 mol% Y 2 O 3 and doped with 18 mol% TiO 2 (Zr(Y,Ti)O 2 ) was homogenized with 5.2 wt% multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) through colloidal processing. The resultant mixture was heat‐treated for 2 h at 1200°C in vacuum under a pressure of 5 · 10 −4 mbar. The microstructure characterization was performed using the TECNAI FEG (200 kV) SuperTWIN transmission electron microscope, equipped with the integrated EDAX detector. The TEM observations of the as‐received samples showed single strands of the carbon nanotubes uniformly dispersed among zirconia crystallites. Heat treatment of the Zr(Y,Ti)O 2 ‐MWCNT mixture caused the transformation of carbon nanotubes into polycrystalline TiC nanofibres and nanorods as confirmed by both the energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy microanalysis and the high‐resolution electron microscopy (HREM) observations. Relying on the above, a mechanism of the TiC in situ crystallization controlled by carbon diffusion through the newly formed TiC phase was discussed.