Synthesis of refractory materials
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorJoseph B. Holt
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Abstract
Refractory metal nitrides are synthesized during a self-propagating combustion process utilizing a solid source of nitrogren. For this purpose, a metal azide is employed, preferably NaN.sub.3. The azide is combusted with Mg or Ca, and a metal oxide is selected from Groups III-A, IV-A, III-B, IV-B, or a rare earth metal oxide. The mixture of azide, Ca or Mg and metal oxide is heated to the mixture's ignition temperature. At that temperature the mixture is ignited and undergoes self-sustaining combustion until the starter materials are exhausted, producing the metal nitride.
Claims11
A method of synthesizing refractory nitride compositions, comprising:
- (a) mixing a metal azide with Ca or Mg and at least a stoichiometric amount of a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of the rare earth metals, the metals of the III-A, IV-A, III-B, IV-B groups, or a mixture thereof;
- (b) heating the resulting mixture of step (a) until a mixture ignition temperature is attained;
- and
- (c) allowing the mixture from step (b) to combust in a self-propagating manner to form a refractory nitride composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.