Preparation of tantalum carbide films by reaction of electrolytic carbon coating with the tantalum substrate

This article demonstrates that coatings of tantalum carbide can be obtained by electrodeposition of carbon in molten fluorides on a tantalum substrate as an alternative to the CVD process. The structural characteristics of the carbon deposited by the electrolytic route lead to a high reactivity of this element towards a tantalum cathode to produce tantalum carbide. Mutual reactivity was shown to be enhanced if tantalum plate is replaced by an electrodeposited layer of tantalum, where the fine microstructure provides a catalytic effect.