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Synthesis and Densification of Monolithic Zirconium Carbide by Reactive Hot Pressing
Author(s) -
Nachiappan Chidambaram,
Rangaraj Lingappa,
Divakar Canchi,
Jayaram Vikram
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2010.03608.x
Subject(s) - materials science , zirconium carbide , zirconium , stoichiometry , carbide , hot pressing , graphite , metallurgy , chemistry
Synthesis and densification of monolithic zirconium carbide (ZrC) has been carried out by reactive hot pressing of zirconium (Zr) and graphite (C) powders in the molar ratios 1:1, 1.25:1, 1.5:1, and 2:1 at 40 MPa, 1200°–1600°C. Monolithic ZrC could be synthesized with a C/Zr ratio ∼0.5–1.0 and the post heat‐treated samples have the lattice parameter in the range 4.665 to 4.698 Å. Densification improves with an increasing deviation from the stoichiometry. Fine‐grained (∼1 μm) and nearly fully dense material (99% RD) could be obtained at a temperature as low as 1200°C with C/Zr ∼0.67. Microstructural and XRD observations suggest that densification occurred at low temperatures with nonstoichiometric Zr–C powder mixtures.