Zirconium carbide Chemical Properties

Melting point:

3540°C

Boiling point:

5100°C

Density 

6.73 g/mL at 25 °C(lit.)

RTECS 

ZH7155000

form 

powder

color 

Gray

Specific Gravity

6.73

Water Solubility 

Soluble in concentrated sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid. Insoluble in water.

Exposure limits

ACGIH: TWA 5 mg/m3; STEL 10 mg/m3
NIOSH: IDLH 25 mg/m3; TWA 5 mg/m3; STEL 10 mg/m3

InChIKey

MHMXYYDKIQTOHA-UHFFFAOYSA-N

EPA Substance Registry System

Zirconium carbide (ZrC) (12070-14-3)

Safety Information

Hazard Codes 

F,Xn

Risk Statements 

11-20/21/22

Safety Statements 

16-27-33-36/37/39

RIDADR 

UN 3178 4.1/PG 3

WGK Germany 

3

TSCA 

Yes

HazardClass 

4.1

PackingGroup 

III

MSDS

• Language:English Provider:SigmaAldrich
• Language:English Provider:ALFA

Zirconium carbide Usage And Synthesis

Description

Zirconium carbide (ZrC) is an extremely hard refractory ceramic material. It is usually processed by sintering. It has the appearance of a gray metallic powder with cubic crystal structure.
It is used as an abrasive, in metal cladding, in cermets, incandescent filaments and cutting tools. Owing to its good high-temperature mechanical properties, excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, high melting point, and strong chemical resistance, it is a potential coating, oxygen-gettering, or inert matrix material for advanced high-temperature nuclear application. Hafnium-free zirconium carbide can be used as refractory coatings in nuclear reactors. Attributing to its low neutron absorption cross-section and weak damage sensitivity under irradiation, it can be used as the coating of uranium dioxide and thorium dioxide particles of nuclear fuel. In particular, ZrC is being considered as a structural and fission product barrier coating material for TRISO (tri-isotropic) coated nuclear fuel used in high temperature reactors (HTR’s), replacing or in addition to the currently used silicon carbide (SiC).
Nanometer zirconium carbide can be used in hard alloy, nano-structured parts and devices for metallurgical, chemical, aerospace, energy, and aviation industry. It can be used in new insulation thermostat textitles, reformed naylon, functional fiber which can absorb and save heat energy. It is used for the surface coating of metal and other materials, for composite materials as the fabrication of metal matrix, ceramic matrix and polymer nanocomposites, as sintering additives and as grain refining agents or nucleating agents.

References

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zirconium_carbide
[2] Yutai Katoh, Gokul Vasudevamurthy, Takashi Nozawa, Lance L. Snead (2013) Propeties of zirconium carbide for nuclear fuel applications, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 441, 718-742
[3] https://www.nanoparticles-microspheres.com/Products/Zirconium-Carbide-Nanoparticles.html

Chemical Properties

Gray, crystalline solid. Mohs hardness 8+. Insoluble in water and hydrochloric acid; soluble in oxidizing acids and attacked by oxidizers.

Uses

zirconium carbide (ZrC) and Titanium carbide (TiC) are extremely hard refractory metal compounds. TiC, ZrC, VC and NbC are commercially used in tool bits for cutting tools. ZrC is used extensively as coating of UO2 and ThO2 particles of nuclear fuel.

Uses

Zirconium carbide (ZrC) is used for light bulb filaments, for cladding metals to protect them from corrosion, in making adhesives, and as a high-temperature lining for refractory furnaces.

Uses

Incandescent filaments, abrasive, cermet component, high-temperature electrical conductor, refractory, metal cladding, cutting tool component.

Flammability and Explosibility

Not classified

Zirconium carbide(12070-14-3)Related Product Information

• Tungsten carbide
• Boron carbide
• Titanium carbide
• Silicon carbide
• Chromium carbide
• ZINC NITRIDE
• HAFNIUM CARBIDE
• Calcium carbide
• Zirconium carbonate oxide
• Niobium carbide
• Dimethyl fumarate
• Zirconium hydroxide
• Zinc oxide
• Silicon monoxide
• Molybdenum carbide
• Zirconium nitride
• Zirconium acetate
• Zirconium dicarbonate