Conditions for fabricating single-phase (Ta, Zr)C carbide by SHS from mechanically activated reaction mixtures

Introduction of excess carbon, an increase in the combustion and post-reaction temperatures, and an increase in the duration of thermal relaxation using a “chemical oven” yielded the single-phase (Ta, Zr)C solid solution with lattice parameter a=0.4493 nm, which corresponds to 17.5 at% of dissolved ZrC. Dense samples were fabricated from submicron-sized carbide powder via hot pressing and spark plasma sintering; their properties were studied.