Overview of Titanium carbide
Titanium carbide, chemical formula TiC, molecular weight is 59.89. Gray metallic face-centered cubic lattice solid. Melting point 3140±90 ℃, boiling point 4820℃, relative density 4.93. Hardness is greater than 9. Insoluble in water, soluble in nitric acid and aqua regia. It is stable to air below 800℃ and eroded by air above 2000℃. It can react with pure O2 at 1150C.
Titanium carbide ceramics are typical transition metal carbides. Its bonding is made up of ionic, covalent and metallic bonds mixed in the same crystal structure, so TiC has many unique properties. The crystal structure determines the basic characteristics of TiC, such as high hardness, high melting point, wear resistance and electrical conductivity.
Titanium carbide
Method: the mixture of titanium powder and carbon obtained by hydrogen reduction TiO2 under high temperature, or by TiO2 and carbon powder mixed pressed into blocks, and then heated to 2300-2700℃ in the electric furnace and carbonized in H2 or CO atmosphere. The hard crystalline powder of TiC and titanium carbide is prepared by the reaction of titanium dioxide and carbon black at a temperature above 1800°C. It is compacted with cobalt or nickel for cutting tools and heat-resistant parts. It is lighter and less costly than tungsten carbide, but it is more brittle in cutting tools. However, when combined with tungsten carbide in the sintered carbide tool material, it reduces the tendency to create grooves in the tool.
Titanium carbide
Theoretically, TiC contains 20.05% carbon and is light metallic gray. It is chemically stable and almost inert to hydrochloric and sulfuric acids. In oxidizing chemicals, such as aqua regia and nitric or hydrofluoric acid, TiC is readily soluble. It also dissolves in an alkaline oxide melt. Nitrogen forms above -1500°C when heated in a nitrogenous atmosphere. TiC is attacked by chlorine gas and tends to oxidize in air at high temperatures.
The chemical stability of TiC in most acids makes it suitable for applications involving corrosive media, while its solubility in aqua regia and hydrofluoric acid is exploited in certain etching and analytical procedures. The reaction with nitrogen at high temperatures to form titanium carbonitrides (TiCₓN₁₋ₓ) is of industrial interest, as these solid solutions offer tailored properties for specific applications. The oxidation behavior of TiC in air is a critical consideration for high-temperature applications: at moderate temperatures, TiC is stable and forms a thin protective oxide layer; at higher temperatures, oxidation becomes significant and the material forms titanium dioxide (TiO₂), which does not provide a fully protective barrier. This limits the use of TiC in oxidizing environments at very high temperatures unless protective coatings are applied.
The density of TiC is 4.94 g/cm3, the Mohs hardness is 9+, the microhardness is 3200kg /mm2, and the elastic modulus is 309,706 MPa. The fracture modulus of the material sintered at 2600 ~ 3000℃ is 499.8 ~ 843.2 MPa at room temperature. The thermal modulus of fracture is 107.78-116.96mpa at 982℃ and 54.4-63.92mpa at 2200℃. TiC melting point is 3160 ° C, resistivity at room temperature is 180 ~ 250 | jQ - cm. It can be used as a conductor at high temperatures. The thermal expansion coefficient between room temperature and 593°C is 4.12 × 10-6/°F. Thermal conductivity is 0.041 CAL /cm S /°C.
The high elastic modulus of TiC indicates exceptional stiffness, which is beneficial for applications requiring dimensional stability under mechanical load. TiC retains significant strength even at very high temperatures, though the values decrease with increasing temperature. This high-temperature strength retention is a key advantage for high-temperature structural applications, though the material's limited fracture toughness at room temperature requires careful design and often the use of metallic binders or reinforcements. The resistivity of TiC is relatively low for a ceramic material, making it suitable for electrical discharge machining (EDM) and as a conductive additive in composites. The thermal conductivity is moderate, allowing for effective heat dissipation in applications such as cutting tools and electronic components. These combined properties—high hardness, good electrical conductivity, and moderate thermal conductivity—make TiC a versatile material for both structural and functional applications.
Preparation of titanium carbide
1. Multiphase materials: titanium carbide ceramics belong to super hard tool materials, TiC can be made with TiN, WC, Al2O3 and other raw materials into various multiphase ceramic materials, these materials have a high melting point, high hardness, excellent chemical stability, is the preferred material for cutting tools, wear-resistant parts. Titanium carbide ceramics are used in the cutting of high-speed wire regulating wheels and carbon steel because of their good oxidation resistance and no crescent-shaped wear with steel. Multiphase ceramic cutting tools containing titanium carbide have been widely used.
2. Coating material: As a surface coating, titanium carbide is a very wear-resistant material. In the diamond surface by physical or chemical method coated with some strong carbides to form metal or alloy, these metals or alloys at high temperature and diamond surface carbon atoms interface reaction, the formation of stable metal carbides. These carbides can not only bond well with diamond, but also be infiltrated by matrix metal, so as to enhance the adhesion between diamond and matrix metal. By depositing titanium carbide films on the tool, the tool life can be increased several times.
3. In the research of nuclear fusion reactor, titanium carbide coating material and (TiN+ TiC) composite coating material, after chemical heat treatment, generate tritium-resistant permeability layer on the surface of titanium carbide, can resist hydrogen ion irradiation and resist a large temperature gradient and thermal cycle.
4. In addition, titanium carbide can also make smelting tin, lead, cadmium, zinc and another metal crucible; Transparent titanium carbide ceramics are also good optical materials.
Titanium carbide applications
Key Properties of Titanium Carbide — Quick Reference Summary
| Property Category |
Key Characteristics |
| Crystal Structure |
Face-centered cubic (NaCl type) with alternating Ti and C atoms |
| Color |
Light metallic gray |
| Hardness |
Extremely high (among the hardest known materials, second only to diamond) |
| Thermal Stability |
Maintains mechanical properties at elevated temperatures |
| Electrical Properties |
Good electrical conductor |
| Thermal Properties |
Moderate thermal conductivity, well-matched thermal expansion to many metals |
| Chemical Stability |
Resistant to most acids, soluble in oxidizing acids; oxidation in air at high temperatures |
| Fracture Characteristics |
Limited fracture toughness at room temperature; requires metallic binders for structural applications |
These combined properties make TiC a versatile material with applications ranging from cutting tools and wear-resistant components to coatings and nuclear applications. The combination of high hardness, good electrical conductivity, and moderate thermal conductivity is relatively uncommon among ceramic materials and positions TiC as a unique material bridging the gap between ceramics and metals.
For quick reference, the key properties of titanium carbide are summarized below:
Key properties of TiC(aka. Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology Co. Ltd.) is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12 years' experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and Nanomaterials. Currently, our company has successfully developed a series of materials. The
Titanium carbide powder produced by our company has high purity, fine particle size and impurity content. For the latest
price of Titanium carbide, send us an email or click on the needed products to send an inquiry.
