Atmospheric-Pressure Synthesis of Titanium Carbide in an Arc Plasma Reactor

• Published in: Inorganic materials Vol. 59; no. 5; pp. 457 - 462
• Main Authors: Gumovskaya, A. A., Shekhovtsov, V. V., Pak, A. Ya, Gerasimov, R. D., Volokitin, O. G., Mamontov, G. Ya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.05.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agglomerates; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Inorganic Chemistry; Materials Science; Mixtures; Particle size distribution; Phase composition; Plasma jets; Synthesis; Thermal plasmas; Titanium carbide; fine powder; titanium carbide; plasma reactor; vacuum-free process; plasma source
• ISSN: 0020-1685; 1608-3172
• DOI: 10.1134/S0020168523050047

— This paper reports on titanium carbide synthesis in an atmospheric-pressure arc plasma reactor by exposing a stoichiometric starting mixture (Ti : C ~ 1 : 1.05) to a plasma jet. The phase composition of the synthesized TiC powder has been determined as a function of the time during which the starting mixture was exposed to a thermal plasma flow and the current (40–120 A) through the electric arc plasma source. The powders obtained under optimal conditions consist of the cubic titanium carbide phase and have a broad particle size distribution, with distinct agglomerates on the order of 50–100 μm in size. It is worth noting that the surface of the agglomerates has the form of a densified perforated crust (with a pore diameter no greater that 2 μm).