A thermal reduction route to nanocrystalline transition metal carbides from waste polytetrafluoroethylene and metal oxides

Starting from waste polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), metal oxides (TiO2, V2O5, Nb2O5, and MoO3) and metal sodium, several nanocrystalline transition metal carbides (TiC, VC, NbC, and Mo2C) have been prepared through a thermal reduction route in an autoclave at 600 °C. It is found that the obtained NbC nanocrystallines have a superconducting transition temperature at 11.6 K.

► NbC can be prepared from metal sodium, Nb2O5 and waste polytetrafluoroethylene.
► The obtained NbC have a superconducting transition temperature at 11.6 K.
► This route has been extended for the preparation of carbides (TiC, VC, Mo2C).