Synthesis of titanium carbonitride by microwave assisted carbothermal reduction and nitridation

• Grant number: 12/06039-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2012
• End date: May 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Ruth Herta Goldschmidt Aliaga Kiminami
• Grantee: Luiza Gouvêa Santos
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Titanium carbonitride-based ceramic materials are used commercially as high performance materials due to their extreme hardness, high melting point, high chemical resistance, and other properties that render them exceptionally versatile. Their synthesis requires special care with respect to purity, homogeneity, and morphological and structural characteristics. New methods of synthesis have been evaluated to obtain such characteristics from the final powder, in the search for an optimized cost-benefit ratio. One of the innovative techniques for obtaining titanium carbonitride ceramic powders is microwave-assisted carbothermal reduction reaction and nitridation. The aim of this research project is to use a microwave-assisted carbothermal reduction method to obtain monophasic titanium carbonitride (TiCxN1-x) ceramic powders with nanometric and subnanometric particles. The project includes the evaluation of synthesis processing variables, such as nitrogen pressures, molar fraction of the precursors, reaction time and power. The results will be analyzed based on the material's homogeneity, granulometric distribution, and particle size and morphology. To this end, the scholarship holder will be in contact with the synthesis process and with the various basic ceramic powder characterization techniques, such as analysis of particle distribution, BET, X-ray diffraction, and optical and scanning electron microscopy. The motivating factors of this project are the use of microwaves as the source of energy and synthesis by carbothermal reduction followed by nitridation. (AU)