Preparation and characterization of nano-sized TiC powder by sol gel processing

Refractory carbides are becoming a group of promising material due to their unique properties, such as high hardness, high wear and corrosion resistance, high thermal conductivity, high melting point, high strength even at high temperatures, and a high degree of chemical stability. Among these carbides, titanium carbide (TiC) is one of the most important engineering material, based on its promising properties. This paper presents a novel approach to preparing ultrafine TiC by sol– gel processing. This novel process would minimize kinetic barriers because carbon (coming from sucrose) was homogeneous dispersed in the precursor of TiO2 by sol–gel process. As a result, the increased contact area between reactants should make the reaction to complete at lower temperatures.