Carbides

Nanoshel’s Vanadium Carbide, is an extremely hard refractory ceramic material. It is commercially used in tool bits cutting tools. It has the appearance of gray metallic powder with cubic crystal structure. Vanadium carbide is chemically stable and has excellent high-temperature property. It can be used as an additive to tungsten carbide to fine the carbide crystals to improve the property of the cermet. Vanadium Carbide can be formed in the orientation, when formed by R.F. Magnetron Sputtering. Vanadium Carbide: Lattice constant of 4.182 angstroms, melting point 2800oC, boiling point 3900oC, good chemical stability and high temperature properties.

The strength and wear resistance of carbide ceramics are impressive. Hardness Extreme surface hardness results when a Vanadium Carbide layer is produced. Nanoshel’s Vanadium Carbide retains exceptional hardness of Hv 1,000 even at 800° Centigrade. Furthermore, hardness will be returned to previous levels once the layer is cooled to room temperature after exposure to high temperatures.

Corrosion-resistance, No corrosion is shown in pieces immersed in a 36 percent hydrochloric acid solution that corrodes stainless steel. Applications emphasize hard surfaces, Nanoshel’s vanadium Carbide has been most often used. Vanadium TD-treated materials show surface hardness in the range of 3,200 to 3,800 on the Vickers hardness scale, for comparison, cemented carbide registers only up to 1,800 on the Vickers scale.

Steel is one of the mostly used materials in South African in the industries such as mining, mineral and metal processing, petrochemical, construction, general engineering, and railway transport, etc. Steel parts are often damaged on the surface through wearing, tearing, scratching, oxidizing or chemical corrosion. In most cases, after any damages occur on metal surface, the entire metal part made of expensive alloy steels may need replaced. One of the challenges is to find ways to improve the surface property of cheap steels in order to enhance its usage properties and ultimately extend the service life in an economic way. Samples of steels with high carbon are treated using the molten slag process to form Vanadium-based alloy layer on the surface of steel.

Nanoshel’s Vanadium carbide nanopowder was compacted at temperature and pressure of 10 MPs the density of compact was equal to 68% of theoretical density. The large porosity (~30%)of specimen.