Large-scale production of well-dispersed submicro ZrB2 and ZrC powders

ZrB2 and ZrC powders were synthesized via metallothermic reduction route using ZrO2, B/C, and Mg as raw materials. Low packing density of the green mixture and high heating temperature of the furnace are crucial for the formation of well-dispersed submicro powders. Optimum reaction time helped achieve good crystallization and high purity. The as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, FESEM, TEM, and particle size analyzer. Results showed that well-dispersed ZrB2 powders with mean particle size of 0.534m and ZrC powders with mean particle size of 0.376m can be obtained. Oxygen content can be controlled lower than 1.0 wt%. The bench-scale output is about 10kg/d