X-ray studies of zirconium cyanonitride

The purpose of this research was to study, by means of x-ray and metallographic analysis, a material reported to be zirconium cyanonitride. The x-ray analysis had a three fold purpose, the determination of the symmetry of the constituents, the number of phases present, and the crystal structure type. Metallography was used to confirm some of the results obtained by x-ray analysis establishing certain definite phase relationships present in the microstructure. The sample investigated contained three principal elements namely zirconium, nitrogen, and carbon. On the basis of constitution this work is a contribution toward the development of the three component equilibrum diagram Zr - N - C. The study of crystal structure and microconstituents of a system or portion of a system is of both fundamental and industrial importance because past experience has shown that the results of such studies have contributed much in the way of predicating the fundamental alloying nature of a system as well as general properties and optimum conditions necessary for heat treatment when some particular property is desired. For a study of high temperature properties, knowledge of constitution of a system is indispensible not only in metal systems, but also in the study of refractory materials. This study has stimulated the interest of the author in the fundamentals of scientific investigation which is the basis of the solution of most metallurgical problems. The extreme importance of x-ray analysis together with the limitation in the study of both crystal structure and phase determination has been demonstrated as well as the necessity for modified polishing and etching procedures to reveal the representative microconstituents of the sample under investigation --Introduction, pages 1-2