Tantalum carbide (TaC) is an extremely hard (Mohs hardess 9-10) refractory ceramic material, commercially used in tool bits for cutting tools. The hardness is only exceeded by diamond. It is a heavy, brown powder usually processed by sintering, and an important cermet material. It is sometimes used as a fine-crystalline additive to tungsten carbide alloys. Tantalum carbide has the distinction of being the stoichiometric binary compound with the highest known melting point, at 4150 K (3880°C).
When used as a mould coating, it produces a low friction surface.
Tantalum carbide-graphite composite material, developed in Los Alamos National Laboratory, is one of the hardest materials ever synthesized.
Dusts from grinding can be flammable.
Substances to avoid are: flammable gases (dust may form explosive mixtures with gases)
Chemical composition:
Ta(Nb)C 99.5%min
Total Carbon: 6.15-6.30%
Free Carbon : 0.1%max
Nb 0.25%max
O 0.15%max
N 0.025%max
Fe 0.100%max
Average particle size (APS) <3 µm
Typical size:
0.7 micron
0.8 micron
1.0-1.3 micron
1.2 micron max.
1.5 micron max.
3.0 micron max.
Trade name: Tantalum carbide, tantal carbide, tac, tant carbide, ta carbide, cemented carbide powder, cemented carbide additive, hard alloy additive, tantalum alloy additive, etc.,