Preparation and application of aluminum carbide powder

Aluminum carbide is an inorganic compound with the molecular formula Al4C3. Aluminum carbide is yellow or gray-green crystal block or powder, which has hygroscopicity. Aluminum carbide powder decomposes at high temperature 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 a direct combination of two elements at high temperature.

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

After cooling, the product is treated with dilute hydrochloric acid (or alkaline solution) under cooling to remove excess aluminum. The obtained aluminum carbide is a fine-crystalline powder, washed with water to remove aluminum chloride, and then quickly washed with alcohol to remove water, and the product is placed in a drying oven at 80-90°C for drying. This product contains a lot of aluminum nitride.

Pure aluminum carbide is colorless, but the products made by the above methods often show different colors due to impurities in the raw materials.

 The calculated amount of aluminum soot mixture is calcined in hydrogen to obtain a pure product without aluminum nitride. 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.

Overview of aluminum carbide Al4C3 powder

Aluminum carbide Al4C3 powder is an inorganic compound with the molecular formula Al4C3. Yellow or greenish-gray crystal block or powder, hygroscopic. It decomposes at high temperature and decomposes into methane and aluminum hydroxide in cold water. Al 4 C 3 has a hexagonal crystal structure. Aluminum carbide with the chemical formula Al4C3 is a carbide of aluminum. The appearance is pale yellow to brown crystals. Stable at temperatures up to 1400°C. Decomposes in water to produce methane.

Aluminum carbide Al4C3 powder has an unusual crystal structure, consisting of alternating layers of Al2C and Al2C2. Each aluminum atom matches 4 carbon atoms to form a tetrahedral arrangement. Carbon atoms exist in two different binding environments. One is a deformed octahedron with 6 Al atoms at 217 pm. The other is a twisted triangular double cone structure, with 4 Al atoms at 190-194 pm and a fifth Al atom at 221 pm.

A small amount of aluminum carbide is a common impurity in industrial calcium carbide. In the electrolytic manufacture of aluminum, aluminum carbide is the corrosion product of graphite electrodes.

In metal matrix composite materials based on non-metal carbide (silicon carbide, boron carbide, etc.) or carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix, aluminum carbide is usually formed as a defective product. For carbon fiber, it will react with the aluminum matrix at a temperature higher than 500°C; for example, by coating the fiber with calcium carbonate, better fiber wettability and chemical reaction inhibition can be obtained. Large quantities of aluminum carbide are usually immediately available. A carbide is a compound in which an anion is one or more carbon atoms. Although not all, most metals form carbides: for example, indium and gallium do not. Like diamond (a pure carbon substance), carbides tend to be very hard, fire-resistant, wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and heat-resistant, so they are very suitable as coatings for drill bits and other tools. They usually combine toughness with other valuable properties, such as electrical conductivity, low thermal expansion, and wear resistance.

Aluminum carbide Al4C3 powder is produced by the direct reaction of aluminum and carbon in an electric arc furnace.

4 Al+3 C→Al4C3

Other reactions start with alumina, but they are not very advantageous due to the production of carbon monoxide.

2 Al2O3+9 C→Al4C3+6 CO

Silicon carbide also reacts with aluminum to form Al4C3. This conversion limits the mechanical applications of SiC because Al4C3 is more brittle than SiC.

4 Al+3 SiC→Al4C3+3 Si

In the silicon carbide-reinforced aluminum-based composite material, silicon carbide chemically reacts with molten aluminum to form a layer of aluminum carbide on the silicon carbide particles, which reduces the strength of the material, but increases the wettability of the silicon carbide particles. It can be reduced by coating silicon carbide particles with a suitable oxide or nitride, pre-oxidizing the particles to form a silicon dioxide coating, or using a sacrificial metal layer.

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

Aluminum carbide Al4C3 powder application

Aluminum carbide Al4C3 powder is used in metallurgy, catalyst 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 conjunction with silicon carbide particles.

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

3. Aluminum carbide can be used as an abrasive for high-speed cutting tools, and 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.

Aluminum carbide Al4C3 powder price

The price of aluminum carbide Al4C3 powder will vary randomly with factors such as production cost, transportation cost, international situation, and market supply and demand of aluminum carbide Al4C3 powder. TanKi New Materials Co., Ltd. aims to help various 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 Al4C3 powder, please feel free to send an inquiry to get the latest information of aluminum carbide Al4C3 powder.

Aluminum carbide Al4C3 powder suppliers

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