Preparation and application of aluminum carbide powder

Aluminum carbide is an inorganic compound with the molecular formula Al4C3. Aluminum carbide is a yellow or green gray crystal block or powder, which is hygroscopic. Aluminum carbide powder decomposes at high temperatures and dissolves into methane and aluminum hydroxide in cold water.

Preparation of aluminum carbide

Aluminum carbide is obtained by heating alumina and coke in an electric furnace. Aluminum carbide Al4C3 is prepared by the direct combination of two elements at high temperature.

First prepare a mixture of 1 part dense smoke black and 6 parts heavy aluminum powder, moisten the mixture with pine essential oil, place a layer in a clay crucible, and then spread a layer of carbon powder on it. The crucible should be covered with a lid, and all gaps should be coated with refractory soil mixed with asbestos fibers. Then, the crucible containing the mixture is placed in an oven for pre-drying, and the mixture is fired at a temperature not lower than 1200° C. for 30 minutes. A higher temperature can make the reaction proceed better.

After cooling, treat the product with dilute hydrochloric acid (or alkaline solution) under cooling to remove excess aluminum. The aluminum carbide obtained in the form of fine crystalline powder is washed with water to remove aluminum chloride, then the water is quickly washed off with alcohol, and the product is dried in a drying cabinet at 80-90°C. The product contains a large amount of aluminum nitride.

Overview of aluminum carbide

Pure aluminum carbide is colorless, but due to impurities in the raw materials, the products manufactured by the above methods usually have different colors.

 When the calculated amount of the mixture of aluminum and soot is calcined in hydrogen, a pure product without aluminum nitride can be obtained. The calcination should be performed at a temperature of 1800 to 1900°C for 2 to 3 hours. The resulting product was ground and calcined again at the above temperature.

Application of aluminum carbide

Aluminum carbide is used in metallurgy, catalysts and methane production. In addition, typical applications of aluminum carbide include:

1. The finely dispersed aluminum carbide particles in the aluminum matrix can reduce the creep tendency of the material, especially when used in combination with silicon carbide particles.

2. Aluminum-aluminum carbide composite materials can be made by mechanical alloying and grinding aluminum powder and graphite particles together.

3. Aluminum carbide can be used as abrasive in high-speed cutting tools. Its hardness is almost the same as that of topaz.

4. Aluminum carbide is also used in fireworks, for example, to achieve the effect of fireflies.

The price of tantalum carbide

The price of aluminum carbide will vary randomly with the production cost, transportation cost, and the supply and demand of the aluminum carbide market in the international situation. Tanki New Materials Co.,Ltd aims to help all industries and chemical wholesalers find high-quality, low-cost nanomaterials and chemicals by providing a full set of customized services. If you are looking for aluminum carbide, please feel free to send an inquiry to get the latest price of aluminum carbide.

Supplier of Aluminum Carbide

As a global aluminum carbide supplier, Tanki New Materials Co.,Ltd has extensive experience in the performance, application and cost-effective manufacturing of advanced and engineered materials. The company has successfully developed a series of powder materials (tantalum carbide, molybdenum carbide, titanium carbide), high-purity targets, functional ceramics and structural devices, and provides OEM services.