Evaluation of Kinetic Data of the WC’s Synthesis Via Gas-Solid Reaction

Abstract

Tungsten carbide (WC) stands out in the mechanical industry, chemical and aerospace by presenting a unique combination of properties, such as high hardness, high melting point, high wear resistance, great chemical, and thermal stability. Refractory carbides’ synthesis via gas-solid reaction is an interesting processing route as it can produce those materials in nanoscale and thus, enhance several of its properties. In this paper, the WC production process was studied upon the evaluation of kinetic data available in the literature. The synthesis data were obtained through the “Digitize” tool of the Origin® software and two kinetic models were evaluated regarding its agreement with those data: 1st order powerlaw and Avrami model. Kinetic constants using a 1st order reaction were estimated and a k=0.00181min-1 with R² =0.9646 for the reaction at 850 ° C and 120min of soaking time.