Coatings by refractory metal carbides: Deposition from molten salts, properties, application

Abstract

High-temperature electrochemical synthesis and currentless transfer in molten salts were used to obtain coatings constituted by carbides of refractory metals (Mo₂C, Cr₇C₃, NbC, and TaC). It was found that the Mo₂C/Mo composite synthesized from a chloride-carbonate-molybdate melt has the highest catalytic activity. It was shown that the Mo₂C catalytic coating preserves its properties for at least 5000 h of tests. The protective properties of refractory metal carbides of composition Cr₇C₃, NbC, and TaC significantly improve the corrosion resistance of steel articles in concentrated solutions and raise their wear resistance by an order of magnitude.