Synthesis of titanium carbide nanopowder from sol gel derived precursor

titanium carbide nanopowder was synthesized by sol–gel method using tetra-n-butyl orthotitanate as titanium source and saccharose as carbon source. The sol-gel processes have been controlled by ethyl aceto acetate. Yellowish sol was placed in air for 24 h under continuous stirring to get a gel. A dried gel was obtained after the gel was heated in a temperature range of 110–120 ℃ for 1.5 h. When heat-treated at 540 ℃, gels transformed into intimately mixed amorphous carbon and nanosized tetragonal TiO2. Further heat treatments above 1000 ℃-1200 ℃ led to the formation of magneli phases. Increasing the temperature to 1300 ℃ and 1400 ℃ led to formation of titanium carbonitrides and pure titanium carbide. Powders were assessed using X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy. The average size of the TiC particles was found to be about 40 nm