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.,