vanadium carbide powder (VC) is a gray metallic material with cubic system structure. It is chemically stable and has excellent high-temperature performance. It is often used as an additive in cemented carbide and cermet to refine the tungsten carbide grains and improve the alloy’s properties.
It is a very active catalyst in hydrocarbon reactions and can be employed to catalyze the formation of adsorbates on solid surfaces, such as zeolite, activated carbon, or silica. Its selectivity, stability and ability to resist “catalyst poisoning” make it an attractive choice for a variety of applications.
VC is produced by gas-phase reaction from vanadium pentoxide vapor and carbon, which crystallizes in the rock salt structure. It is isomorphous with vanadium monoxide, and samples of VC typically contain oxide impurities. VC is thermodynamically stable, but it will convert to vanadium dicarbide at higher temperatures.
VC is mainly applied to powder metallurgy sintering technology and thermal surfacing techniques, such as powder welding or overlaying by oxyacetylene or plasma transferred arc spraying, HVOF/HAFA spraying, laser overlaying, or plasma spraying. It can be used to manufacture hardfacing (weld) rods, drill and coring bits, as well as infiltrated diamond tools. Kennametal also produces macrocrystalline tungsten carbide (WCx) for use in a wide range of wear-resistant applications, such as mining and construction tools and dies, saw blades, tipped cutting edges, and wear parts. This highly stable form of WC offers the best combination of wear resistance and high temperature strength in a variety of application conditions.