Process for making carbides through mechanochemical processing

Abstract

Forming metal and metalloid carbides by mechanically inducing a reduction reaction between a metal chloride (or a metalloid chloride) and a metal carbide. The reduction reactions are induced mechanically by milling the reactants. Alloy carbides may also be produced by mechanically inducing the co-reduction of metal chlorides or metalloid chlorides and a metal carbide according to the equation: M 1 chloride+M 2 chloride+M 3 carbide→M 1 M 2 carbide, where M 1 is a metal or metalloid, M 2 is a metal or metalloid and M 3 is a suitable carbide reducing agent.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A process for making a first metal carbide, comprising mechanically inducing a reduction reaction between a first metal chloride and a second metal carbide.  
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein mechanically inducing the reaction comprises milling the metal chloride and the metal carbide.  
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the second metal comprises lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, beryllium, aluminum, zinc, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum or actinium.  
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the first metal comprises a transition metal.  
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the first metal comprises titanium, zirconium or silicon.  
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the first metal comprises titanium, zirconium or silicon and the second metal comprises calcium.  
     
     
         7 . A process for making a metalloid carbide, comprising mechanically inducing a reduction reaction between a metalloid chloride and a metal carbide.  
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein mechanically inducing the reaction comprises milling the metalloid chloride and the metal carbide.  
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein the metal carbide comprises lithium carbide, sodium carbide, potassium carbide, rubidium carbide, cesium carbide, francium carbide, beryllium carbide, aluminum carbide, zinc carbide, magnesium carbide, calcium carbide, strontium carbide, barium carbide, radium carbide, scandium carbide, yttrium carbide, lanthanum carbide or actinium carbide.  
     
     
         10 . A process for making a carbide, comprising mechanically inducing the reaction M 1 chloride+M 2 carbide→M 1 carbide where M 1  is a metal or metalloid and M 2  is lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, beryllium, aluminum, zinc, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum or actinium.  
     
     
         11 . A process for making a carbide, comprising mechanically inducing the reaction M 1 chloride+M 2 carbide→M 1  carbide+M 2 chloride, where M 1  is a metal or metalloid and M 2  is lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, beryllium, aluminum, zinc, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum or actinium.  
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 11 , further comprising removing M 2 chloride from the reaction products.  
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 11 , further comprising removing M 2 chloride from the reaction products by sublimation.  
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 12 , wherein the act of removing comprises leaching the reaction products to remove M 2 chloride.  
     
     
         15 . A process for making a metal carbide, comprising mechanically inducing a reduction reaction between a metal chloride, calcium carbide and magnesium.  
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 15 , wherein mechanically inducing the reaction comprises milling the metal chloride, the calcium carbide and the magnesium.  
     
     
         17 . A process for making titanium carbide, comprising milling titanium chloride and calcium carbide.  
     
     
         18 . A process for making titanium carbide, comprising milling titanium chloride, calcium carbide and magnesium.  
     
     
         19 . A process for making titanium carbide, comprising mechanically inducing the reaction TiCl 4 +2CaC 2 →TiC+2CaCl 2 +3C.  
     
     
         20 . The process according to  claim 19 , wherein mechanically inducing the reaction comprises milling titanium chloride and calcium carbide.  
     
     
         21 . The process according to  claim 19 , further comprising removing calcium chloride from the reaction products.  
     
     
         22 . The process according to  claim 19 , further comprising removing calcium chloride from the reaction products by sublimation.  
     
     
         23 . The process according to  claim 20 , wherein the act of removing comprises leaching the reaction products to remove calcium chloride.  
     
     
         24 . A process for making titanium carbide, comprising mechanically inducing the reaction 2TiCl 4 +CaC 2 +3Mg→2TiC+CaCl 2 +3MgCl 2 .  
     
     
         25 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein mechanically inducing the reaction comprises milling titanium chloride, calcium carbide and magnesium.  
     
     
         26 . A process for making an alloy carbide, comprising mechanically inducing a reduction reaction between a chloride of a first metal or metalloid, a chloride of a second metal or metalloid and a metal carbide.  
     
     
         27 . The process according to  claim 26 , wherein mechanically inducing the reaction comprises milling the chlorides and the metal carbide.  
     
     
         28 . A process for making an alloy carbide, comprising mechanically inducing the reaction M 1 chloride+M 2 chloride+M 3 carbide→M 1 M 2 carbide, where M 1  is a metal or metalloid, M 2  is a metal or metalloid and M 3  is lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, beryllium, aluminum, zinc, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum or actinium.  
     
     
         29 . A process for making an alloy carbide, comprising mechanically inducing the reaction M 1 chloride+M 2 chloride+M 3 carbide→M 1 M 2 carbide+M 3 chloride, where M 1  is a metal or metalloid M 2  is a metal or metalloid and M 3  is lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, beryllium, aluminum, zinc, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum or actinium.  
     
     
         30 . The process according to  claim 29 , further comprising removing M 3 chloride from the reaction products.  
     
     
         31 . The process according to  claim 29 , further comprising removing M 3 chloride from the reaction products by sublimation.  
     
     
         32 . The process according to  claim 30 , wherein the act of removing comprises leaching the reaction products to remove M 3 chloride.  
     
     
         33 . A process for making an alloy carbide, comprising mechanically inducing the co-reduction of titanium chloride and zirconium chloride with calcium carbide.