Multicarbide Formation Direct from Concentrate

Abstract

The ball milling of oxides with graphite was found to be a potentially viable method for producing hard metals such as carbides for cutting tools. In this study, tantalum-niobium concentrate was obtained from a commercial concentrator. Graphite powders were annealed then milled. For purposes of comparison, some samples were not milled. The products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Premilling reduced the temperature necessary for reduction from 1000°C to 700°C. Complete reduction to a multicarbide was attained within 1 h at 1000°C for milled powder, where the unmilled powder showed only a slight reaction. These results suggest that the formation of a multicarbide by ball milling is economical. Show more