TITANIUM CARBIDE POWDER AND TITANIUM CARBIDE-CERAMICS COMPOSITE POWDER AND METHOD FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF, AND SINTERED COMPACT FROM THE TITANIUM CARBIDE POWDER AND SINTERED COMPACT FROM THE TITANIUM CARBIDE/CERAMICS COMPOSITE POWDERS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF

摘要

Provided is a fine titanium carbide powder which has a particle diameter of a nano-meter order, and contains no inorganic impurity such as titanium oxide or a metal and is reduced in the content of free carbon, and thus, is effective for improving characteristics of a composite sintered compact with a ceramics. A highly pure and fine titanium carbide powder having a maximum particle diameter of 100 nm or less, and having a content of the metals except titanium of 0.05 wt % or less and a content of free carbon of 0.5 wt % or less is produced by a method comprising a step of preparing a liquid having a solvent and, dissolved therein, an organic material, as a carbon source, containing one or more OH or COOH groups, which is a functional group being able to coordinate to a titanium atom of a titanium alkoxide, and containing no element except C, H, N and O, a step of mixing the above liquid with a titanium alkoxide so as for the molar ratio (E) of the carbon source to the titanium alkoxide to satisfy 0.7 = E = 1.0, to thereby prepare a precursor, and a step of subjecting a product in the resultant precursor solution to a heat treatment at 1050 to 1500‹C in a non-oxidizing or vacuum atmosphere. ® KIPO & WIPO 2008