Effect of the Experimental Parameters on the Chemical Vapor Deposition of TiC on Steel.

The effect of various parameters controlling the chemical vapor deposition of titanium carbide on steel is studied by means of experiment designs. The temperature, the molar fraction of methane, the deposition time and the total pressure are the dominant factors for the weight gain, thickness and efficiency responses. A thermodynamic calculation makes it possible to explain the attack on the substrate by iron-titanium chemical exchange during deposition under reduced pressure. The three response surfaces are obtained as a function of the dominant parameters.