Synopses & Reviews
Refractory carbides and nitrides are useful materials with numerous industrial applications and a promising future, in addition to being materials of great interest to the scientific community. Although most of their applications are recent, the refractory carbides and nitrides have been known for over one hundred years.
The industrial importance of the refractory carbides and nitrides is growing rapidly, not only in the traditional and well-established applications based on the strength and refractory nature of these materials such as cutting tools and abrasives, but also in new and promising fields such as electronics and opto-electronics. Some typical applications are as follows:
1. Silicon-nitride rotors, blades, rings, and burner tiles for gas turbines;
2) Tungsten-carbide cutting tools;
3) Titanium-nitride coatings on high-speed steel drill bits;
4) Silicon-carbide fibers and whiskers;
5) Boron-carbide abrasive blast nozzles;
6) Aluminum-nitride high thermal conductivity substrates for electronic circuits;
7) Silicon carbide burner tubes for gas furnaces;
8) Titanium nitride passivating and electrically insulating coatings for semiconductor devices;
9) Silicon carbide high-temperature semiconductor devices;
10) Silicon carbide blue light-emitting diode (LED).
The refractory carbides and nitrides are reviewed together in one book because:
1. They form two families of closely related materials which have similar atomic structures and chemistry.
2. Carbon and nitrogen are next to each other the second period of the Table of the Elements and, in many cases, the carbides and nitrides form solid solutions (known as carbonitrides).
3. Many of their properties are similar.
4. They have essentially the same processing characteristics and basically the same applications.
5. In many respects, they complement each other.
The main objectives of this book can be summarized as follows:
1. Provide a complete review of the structures and properties of refractor carbides and nitrides
2. Provide a thorough assessment of the technology, processing, and equipment and systems used in production and RandD, with emphasis on advanced designs
3. Identify and describe the applications, particularly new and emerging areas.
Review
"A useful book for materials scientists and graduate students." - High Tech Ceramics News
About the Author
Hugh 0. Pierson is presently a private consultant in Chemical Vapor Deposition. He was formerly the head of the Deposition Laboratory at the Sandia National Laboratories and is now retired. Since then, he has been a consultant to the U.S. State Department in South America; UJtramet in Pacoima, California; LOF in Toledo, Ohio; the Gorham Institute in Maine; REI in Whit tier, California; TH Goldschmidt AG in Germany; and to many other companies. A graduate of the University of Paris and the French Naval College, Mr. Pierson has over one hundred technical publications in the field of Chemical Vapor Deposition. He contributed to a book on Chemically Vapor Deposited Coatings published by the American Ceramic Society. He also authored the Handbook of Chemical Vapor Deposition and the Handbook of Carbon, Graphite, Diamonds, and Fullerenes published by Noyes Publications.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Refractory Carbides
Interstitial Carbides, Structure and Composition
Carbides of Group IV: Titanium, Zirconium, and Hafnium Carbides
Carbides of Group V: Vanadium, Niobium and Tantalum Carbides
Carbides of Group VI: Chromium, Molybdenum, and Tungsten Carbides
Covalent Carbides: Structure and Composition
Characteristics and Properties of Silicon Carbide and Boron Carbide
The Refractory Nitrides
Interstitial Nitrides: Structure and Composition
Interstitial Nitrides: Properties and General Characteristics
Covalent Nitrides: Composition and Structure
Covalent Nitrides: Properties and General Characteristics
Processing of Refractory Carbides and Nitrides (Powder, Bulk, and Fibers)
Processing of Refractory Carbides and Nitrides (Coatings)
Applications of Refractory Carbides and Nitrides
References
Appendix: Conversion Guide
Index