Systems and methods for making ceramic powders and ceramic products
Systems and methods for making ceramic powders are provided. The method for forming a ceramic powder includes: preparing a precursor mixture, wherein the preparing comprises adding at least one additive to a plurality of reagents, wherein the at least one additive includes at least one of: an oxide, a salt, a pure metal, or an alloy of elements ranging from atomic numbers 21 through 30, 39 through 51, and 57 through 77 and combinations thereof; and carbothermically reacting the precursor mixture to form a ceramic powder, wherein, due to the preparing step, the precursor mixture comprises a sufficient amount of the at least one additive to form the ceramic powder, wherein the ceramic powder comprises: (a) a morphology selected from the group consisting of irregular, equiaxed, plate-like, and combinations thereof; and (b) a particle size distribution selected from the group consisting of fine, intermediate, coarse, and combinations thereof.
1. A method, comprising:
(a) preparing a precursor mixture, wherein the preparing comprises adding at least one additive to a plurality of reagents;
(i) wherein the plurality of reagents comprise titanium dioxide, a boron source, and a carbon source;
(ii) wherein the at least one additive is intentionally added and selected from the group consisting of:
(A) a salt of elements of Fe, Ni, Co, W, and Cr;
(B) a pure metal of elements of Fe, Ni, Co, W, and Cr;
(C) an alloy of elements of Fe, Ni, Co, W, and Cr; and
(D) combinations of (A)-(C); and
(b) carbothermically reacting the precursor mixture to form a titanium diboride particles, the titanium diboride particles defining a titanium diboride powder;
(i) wherein, at least partially due to the at least one additive, the titanium diboride particles realize a morphology selected from the group consisting of irregular, equiaxed, plate-like, and combinations thereof; and
(ii) wherein, at least partially due to the at least one additive, the titanium diboride powder produced by the titanium diboride particles realizes a fine particle size distribution, wherein the D50 of the titanium diboride particles is less than 3 micrometers;
wherein the preparing step (a) comprises adding from 0.001 to 0.75 wt. % of the at least one additive to the plurality of reagents based on a total weight of the titanium diboride powder.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
removing an undesired byproduct of the carbothermic reaction, wherein the removing comprises exposing the precursor mixture to a process gas flow during the carbothermic reacting step.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein exposing the precursor mixture comprises directing the process gas flow through the precursor mixture during the carbothermic reacting step.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the process gas is selected from the group consisting of: a noble gas, hydrogen, and combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor mixture comprises from 20 wt. % to 50 wt. % of the titanium dioxide.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor mixture comprises from 10 wt. % to 35 wt. % of the carbon source.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the carbon source comprises graphite.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor mixture comprises from 30 wt. % to 70 wt. % of the boron source.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preparing step (a) comprises adding 0.0625-0.5 wt. % of the least one additive to the plurality of reagents based on the total weight of the titanium diboride powder.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preparing step (a) comprises adding from 0.001 to 0.45 wt. % of the at least one additive to the plurality of reagents based on the total weight of the titanium diboride powder.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intentionally-added, at least one additive is selected from the group consisting of: a pure metal of elements of Fe, Ni, Co, W, and Cr, and combinations of those pure metals.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intentionally-added, at least one additive is selected from the group consisting of: an alloy of elements of Fe, Ni, Co, W, and Cr, and combinations of those alloys.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium diboride particles realize a shape factors which has ratio of x, y, and z dimensions of the particles being x: y: z=10:1:1.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the titanium diboride particles realize a morphology of irregular.