Special rare earth elements exist in the periodic table and their utilization is gradually increasing due to their special properties. They are referred to as rare not due to lacking in abundance but rather due to sparse geographical occurrence in the earth crust.

Manufacturing Process of Carbide Chemicals

Carbides are formulated as powders. The processes involved include milling, vacuum drying and spray drying. In attrition milling, carbide balls are fed to the milling machine with a special milling liquid. Other materials are destroyed in the process to achieve a homogenous mix. They are dried in vacuum to prevent oxidation to get the required carbide powder.

Evaporation Materials Applications

Evaporation materials available from green earth chemicals include fluoride evaporation, metal evaporation, mixture evaporation materials and oxide evaporation materials. These materials are used in thermal coating of materials in a method called “thin film deposition” in which the evaporation material is heated in a vacuum chamber, evaporates and the moisture deposits on the material to be coated. The process is used in making of items such as metal coated plastics.

Ferroalloys/Electrode Powder Series

Ferroalloys/Electrode Powder Series include Alv alloy, CaSi alloy. They are used in manufacturing of electrode powder as well as various types of steel alloys.

Film Substrate from Green Earth Chemicals

The film substrate material available from green earth metals includes LaALO3, LaSrAlO4, magnesium oxide, and NdGaO3. These products are used in application of a thin film largely for protection of corrosive material from degradation. A thin film layer of a thickness of 50 nanometers is applied especially in electronic semiconductors and optical devices.

Nitride Chemicals

These are chemicals formed when nitrogen is combined with another element that has the same or even lower electro negativity like that of silicon, or boron and mostly metals. They are classified as ionic, covalent or interstitial. Some nitrides are highly refractory and resistant to chemical attack and therefore used in the manufacture of abrasives and heat resistant products like crucibles. Some nitride chemicals include vanadium nitrogen alloys, aluminum nitrides, Boron and chromium. These are very hard and resistant to any form of chemical attack.

Rare Earth Chemicals

From green earth chemicals, high quality rare earth chemicals include cerium carbonates, cerium fluorides, dysprosium oxides, lanthanum compounds such as lanthanum carbonate, and Neodymium oxide. They have very high refractive index and are incorporated in manufacture of battery electrodes, camera lenses and as part of catalyst in oil refinery.

Scattered Metal

Scattered Metal includes cadmium, gallium, germanium oxide, indium, selenium and tellurium. Selenium shows high photo voltaic activity therefore used in manufacture of solar cells as well as photo conductive action and is very useful in the manufacture of electronic rectifiers.

Silicide Chemicals

These include calcium Silicide, chromium Silicide and zirconium disilicide. The calcium Silicide is useful in the making of special alloys and assisting in the removal of phosphorus as a deoxidizer.

Special Powder/Alloy Series

Special Powder/Alloy Series are metal alloys used in a wide range of industrial functions. The chromium metal powder is highly corrosion resistant thus very effective protective clothing. Tungsten has very high heat resistance and highest melting point of all metals and thus very effective in high temperature applications. Titanium dioxide is very efficient in light scattering and a good whitener when incorporated during plastic making. This whitening effect enhances durability of polymer products.

Carbides are combinations of special metals and carbon to form very hard materials greater than that of hardened steel. They are therefore used in applications requiring extreme strength such as machine tool bits, drilling and mining operations.

Mechanical Properties of Carbides

The mechanical properties of carbides are determined in terms of;

• Hardness at varying temperatures
• Hardness measured at room temperatures
• Compression strength in megapascals
• Transverse rapture force in megapascals
• Elasticity

Tantalum carbide exhibits a hardness of 1570 Hv (Vickers hardness) at 20⁰ c and 800 Hv at 730⁰c, as compared to titanium carbide which exhibits a hardness of 2930 Hv at 20⁰c and 640 Hv at 730⁰c. Different carbides will show varying mechanical properties

Industrial Applications of Carbides

The special combination of physical and structural properties of carbides gives them special industrial uses. These include:

• Resistance to abrasion which is very high and they easily outlast hard steel grades.
• Resistance to deflection: Compared to steel bars of the same grades, carbides have an elasticity modulus of up to three times more which equals to one third deflection compared to the steel bars.

These are properties which make these carbide chemicals very effective in extreme temperature and pressure conditions such as in drilling and machine tool bits. Carbide balls are also used as milling agents due to their hardness in Attritor mills. Some Specific carbide chemicals include;

Tantalum Carbide

It has very strong covalent bonds in their structure producing a hard and brittle material. It has very high degree of stability and resistance thus used to enhance performance of very hard metal machining tools.

Chromium Carbide Powder

Chromium carbide powder used in manufacture of bearing seals, valve seats and its ability to resist corrosion makes it suitable in applications where chemical corrosion is likely. It is also used as a heated spray for protecting vulnerable metal surfaces.

Ferrotitanium Carbide

Ferrotitanium Carbide is effective in solving many wearing out problems and enabling re use of worn out and reconditioned machine tool pieces. It is easily re-machined and hardened through a simple heat treatment.

Hafnium Carbide Powder

This compound is used in production of hard coatings such as plasma spraying. The power form is used in applications requiring high surface areas such as in fuel cells and solar panels applications.

Silicon Carbide

With a chemical formula of Sic, it has been used for a long time as an abrasive substance therefore used in the manufacture of sand papers, grinding wheels and cutting tools in industry. It is also used in heating elements in furnaces and refractory linings.

TiNC Powder

Denoted as carbon titanium nitride powder, it is used in hardening and protection of cutting and sliding surfaces. It is also used in decorative purposes due to the gold like appearance as well as a non toxic cover for medical implants.

Titanium Carbide Powder

It is used as an additive in production of manufacturing tools, and hard ceramics.

Tungsten Carbide Powder

Ha s a number of industrial applications due to its hardness and tough nature. The powder has varying grain size and using a binder material, engineers can develop a variety of very hard components used in manufacture of machine tools components. The tungsten carbide powder can be cemented and used in manufacture of very hard gears and special tools used in the mining and oil exploration sectors.

Vanadium Carbide Powder

Recognized as the hardest metal carbide known, and is produced by heating the vanadium oxides with carbon to temperatures of over 1000⁰c

Zirconium Carbide Powder

It has an extremely hard refractory material therefore also used in manufacture of tool bits for machine tools cutting heads.