Tantalum carbide

Tantalum ( IV) carbide

Brown powder or gold-colored crystalline solid

Fixed

13.9 g · cm -3

3880 ° C

5500 ° C

Insoluble in water

Attention

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Tantalum carbide is a compound of tantalum and carbon, with the formula TaC.

Representation

Tantalum carbide by reacting tantalum powder with lampblack

Or the reduction of tantalum pentoxide with carbon. For this reason, metallic tantalum have to alkali or alkaline earth metals can be produced by reduction with hydrogen.

Small amounts of tantalum carbide may small amounts of hydrocarbons ( for example toluene, methane, acetylene ) can be obtained with the addition of tantalum wires at temperatures over 2500 ° C in a hydrogen atmosphere.

Properties and Uses

The carbide crystallized as yellow cubic crystals ( sodium chloride structure) is chemically inert and dissolves only in the forward or sulfuric acid. It has one of the highest melting points of all known substances with 3880 ° C - only Tantalhafniumcarbid has an even higher melting point. Is the material of stoichiometry of the formula TaC0, 89, the melting point rises to almost 4270 K ( 4000 ° C) and is in turn higher than that of hafnium. Tantalum carbide has a value of 9-10 almost the hardness of diamond and is used as the coating of engine nozzles and cutting tools. Besides tantalum ( IV) carbide, TaC also tantalum ( II) Ta 2 C carbide is known which has a melting temperature of 3500 ° C and a density of 15 g · cm -3.