Novel DC arc plasma method for super dispersed metal carbides synthesis

Abstract

This paper presents the experimental results of metal carbides synthesis by DC arc discharge plasma in ambient air. The results indicate that the synthesis takes place in the atmosphere of CO and CO2, which are generated during the DC arcing process on graphite electrodes and that mixture of CO and CO2 prevents the reaction zone from air oxygen. The paper introduces experimentally substantiated arguments about the possibility of obtaining metal carbides by the developed arc discharge method. By the moment, the authors have already obtained silicon carbide and titanium carbide in this way.