Nano-sized zirconium carbide powder: Synthesis and densification using a spark plasma sintering apparatus

Nano-sized zirconium carbide powder was synthesized at 1600 degrees C by the carbothermal reduction of ZrO2 using a modified spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus. The synthesized ZrC powder had a fine particle size of approximately 189 nm and a low oxygen content of 0.88 wt%. The metal basis purity of the synthesized powder was 99.87%. The low synthesis temperature, fast heating/cooling rate and the effect of current during the modified SPS process effectively suppressed the particle growth. Using the synthesized powder, monolithic ZrC ceramics with high relative density (97.14%) were obtained after the densification at 2100 degrees C for 30 min at a pressure of 80 MPa by SPS. The average grain size of the densified ZrC ceramics was approximately 9.12 mu m. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.