Facile synthesis of bimetallic carbonitrides, V 1− xTi x(C,N), by microwave carbothermal reduction–ammonolysis/carburisation (MW-CRAC) methods

Abstract

New quaternary carbide nitrides in the V 1− x Ti x (C,N) (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) system have been synthesised rapidly (0.5–1.5 h) by carbothermal reduction, carburisation and ammonolysis via microwave heating using a custom-modified, multimode cavity microwave reactor. The products were structurally characterised by powder X-ray diffraction (PXD), while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) were used to examine morphology and composition. The resulting carbonitrides crystallise with the rock salt structure and the cubic lattice parameters vary linearly with increasing titanium concentration ( x), hence following Vegard's law. Particle sizes typically range from 250 nm to 2 μm.