High-entropy
ceramics is a new class of materials having a great
potential and wide application. The carbide of Ti, Zr, Hf, Ta, Nb
is a typical member of this group. It has been synthesized mostly
through blending, milling, and high-temperature solid-state reaction
of metal carbide precursors for each metal. This route needs extremely
high temperature (2300 °C), which makes it energy and technology
demanding. We have developed a chemical route for high-entropy carbide
powder that needs a synthetic temperature that is several hundred
degrees Celsius lower. A solution of desired metal citrates with an
excess of citric acid was converted into a metal oxide/active carbon
nanocomposite. Starting from a solution enabled ideal mixing of precursors
on a molecular level, allowing us to skip any milling and blending
steps. The nanocomposite was treated in vacuum at 1600 °C, giving
a phase-pure high-entropy carbide. The intermediate compounds and
products were characterized by means of solid-state analysis.
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