Abstract
A range of (Zr,Nb)C ceramics containing 20–50 vol% NbC were spark plasma sintered at 2000°C. The ceramics had relative densities greater than 97 %, and all compositions formed a complete solid solution. The average grain size was ∼7.1 µm over all compositions. Elastic moduli values ranged from 436 to 445 GPa, and the fracture toughness ranged from 0.8 to 2.8 MPa·m1/2 over the compositional range, both increasing with increasing NbC content. The hardnesses of the (Zr,Nb)C ceramics ranged from 19.1 to 20.2 GPa at a load of 9.81 N. The flexural strength increased from 352 to 395 MPa as the NbC content decreased from 50 to 20 vol%. The successful solid solution formation and densification of the (Zr,Nb)C ceramics provide a surrogate framework for substituting UC for the NbC to produce (Zr,U)C ceramics for nuclear applications.
Recommended Citation
J. Stacy et al., "Spark Plasma Sintering Of (Zr,Nb)C Ceramics," Journal of Alloys and Compounds, vol. 1013, article no. 178630, Elsevier, Jan 2025.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2025.178630
Department(s)
Materials Science and Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
Carbides; Microstructures; NbC; Spark plasma sintering; ZrC
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0925-8388
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2025 Elsevier, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
31 Jan 2025
