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Title: Carbothermic reaction process for making nanophase WC-Co powders

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6267330

A carbothermic reaction process is described for the production of nanophase metal/metal carbide particles comprised of the steps of: (a) preparing porous precursor particles by partial or full chemical reduction, the porous precursor powders acting as substrates for carbon infiltration, the preparation of precursor powder being effected by subjecting a solution of metal ions prepared from tungsten or cobalt compounds to a drying treatment selected from the group consisting of: spray calcining, spray roasting, spray drying, or freeze drying; (b) infiltrating the porous precursor particles with amorphous carbon from a carbon source gas or gas mixture at a carbon activity greater than or equal to 1.0, said carbon source gas being selected from the group consisting of CO, CO/CO[sub 2], CH[sub 4]/H[sub 2], and combinations thereof capable of achieving carbon deposition; said infiltrating of the porous precursor powders being achieved using low temperature catalytic decomposition of the selected gas or gas mixture by the precursor powder particle substrate; (c) simultaneously reacting the carbon from the source gas with the porous precursor powder particle substrates to form at least one carbide phase; (d) removing remaining unreacted carbon by gasification using a gas or gas mixture of carbon activity less than 1.0, the gas or gas mixture being selected from the group consisting of CO[sub 2], CO/CO[sub 2], CH[sub 4]/H[sub 2], or combinations thereof capable of removing carbon; said infiltrating and removing process steps being effected in a tube furnace, a muffle furnace, a belt furnace, a rotary kiln, a fluid bed furnace, or furnace suited for heating the precursor powder and gases to temperatures up to 1,000 C and achieving infiltration of carbon from a carbon source gas at a carbon activity greater than or equal to 1.0 and removal of unreacted carbon by gasification using a gas or gas mixture having a carbon activity less than 1.0.

Assignee:
Rutgers, The State Univ. of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ (United States)
Patent Number(s):
US 5230729; A
Application Number:
PPN: US 7-989955
OSTI ID:
6267330
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 10 Dec 1992
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English