Synthesis mechanism and characterization of tantalum boride powder prepared by boron/carbothermal reduction.

This study investigated the synthesis mechanism of tantalum boride (TaB2) powder via the boron/carbothermal reduction method, based on thermodynamic calculations and experimental results. The insufficient presence of the intermediate product B2O3 leads to the emergence of TaC and Ta3B4, while in the presence of a sufficient boron source in the reaction system, the primary products formed include TaB2, TaC, and B2O3, with TaC subsequently reacting with B2O3 and carbon to yield TaB2. TaB2 powder was successfully synthesized at 1500°C with the addition of an excess of 20 wt% B4C. The particle size of the powder was approximately 298 nm, and the oxygen content and carbon content in the powder were 0.6 and 0.1 wt.%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]