zirconium carbide

dark gray brittle solid; cub, a=0.46983 nm; it is not a fixed stoichiometric compound; hard, high melting carbide used in UC-fueled reactors; enthalpy of fusion 79.4kJ/mol; hardness 8+ Mohs; used as a hot pressed crucible to melt metals such as bismuth, cadmium, lead, tin and high melting point oxides such as ZrO2, and as a 99.5% pure sputtering target to produce wear-resistant and other films [KIR84] [HAW93] [CER91] [JAN71]

Zirconium carbide , nominally ZrC, is a dark gray brittle solid. It is made typically by a carbothermic reduction of zirconium oxide in a induction-heated vacuum furnace. Alternative production methods, especially for deposition on a substrate, consist of vapor-phase reaction of a volatile zirconium halide, usually ZrCl4, with a hydrocarbon in a hydrogen atmosphere at 900–1400 °C (1652–2552 °F).

Zirconium carbide is a refractory material. It is used in making incandescent filaments, high temperature electrical conductors, and cutting tool components.