Tantalum carbide

Tantalum carbide

Tantalum carbide (TaC) is a compound with a higher melting point than metallic tantalum, making it a useful addition in the manufacture of hard metals. It possesses excellent physical and chemical properties, including a high melting point of over 3800°C, high hardness of over 20 GPa, and excellent chemical stability with Fe-based alloy steels. Tantalum carbide is commonly used in cemented-carbide cutting tools.From: Managing Global Resources and Universal Processes [2020], In situ TEM observation of the microstructure characteristics of the vacuum sintering, sub-zero and heat treatments of Vanadis 23 high-speed steel by adding Cr₃C₂–TaC–TiC powders [2023], Encyclopedia of Materials, Parts and Finishes [2019]

Paths to the Energy Miracles

View Chapter

Purchase Book

Published in H. B. Glushakow, Energy Miracles, 2022

H. B. Glushakow

Active volcanoes also provide direct access to an almost unlimited source of extreme heat. It needs some careful design work and some clever application of material science, but the potential is there to create electrical current from every one of Earth’s active volcanoes. Materials such as tantalum carbide (TaC) and hafnium carbide (HfC) have already been developed that can withstand temperatures of 4000°C.

In situ TEM observation of the microstructure characteristics of the vacuum sintering, sub-zero and heat treatments of Vanadis 23 high-speed steel by adding Cr₃C₂–TaC–TiC powders

View Article

Journal Information

Published in Powder Metallurgy, 2023

Shih-Hsien Chang, Chi-Hsien Chang, Kuo-Tsung Huang

In addition, tantalum carbide (TaC) possesses excellent physical and chemical properties such as high melting point (>3800°C), high hardness (>20 GPa) and excellent chemical stability with Fe-based alloy steels. Hence, TaC can enhance the mechanical properties of composites and be suitable to be used as a ceramic reinforcement [2,9,10]. Furthermore, titanium carbide (TiC) is a harder material than tungsten carbide and thus cemented carbides to which TiC has been added should be more abrasion resistant than a standard WC-Co alloy. TiC is also known to reduce the tendency of welding distortion between the tool tip and the machined chips [11–13]. Simultaneously, since the Cr3C2, TaC, and TiC carbides have excellent hardness and relatively high melting temperature, they are widely used as grain growth inhibitors (GGIs) and to improve thermal stability with iron-base alloys.

Explore chapters and articles related to this topic

Paths to the Energy Miracles

In situ TEM observation of the microstructure characteristics of the vacuum sintering, sub-zero and heat treatments of Vanadis 23 high-speed steel by adding Cr3C2–TaC–TiC powders

In situ TEM observation of the microstructure characteristics of the vacuum sintering, sub-zero and heat treatments of Vanadis 23 high-speed steel by adding Cr₃C₂–TaC–TiC powders