LAUSR

A commercial route has been developed to synthesize submicrometer titanium nitride from titanium dioxide/phenolic resin composite. The phenolic resin served as the carbon source and the titanium dioxide served as titanium source to produce titanium nitride in flowing ultrahigh purity N2 atmosphere at 1373–1773 K. Titania was embedded in a continuous phenolic resin dispersant. X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscope were employed to characterize the phase composition, microstructure and reaction mechanism. It was found that the reaction sequence was TiO2 → Ti4O7 → Ti3O5 → TiN and the whole formation process was consisted of chemical synthesis reaction process firstly and the following recrystalline-physical process. The optimal conditions to prepare titanium nitride powders were determined: the molar ratio of titanium dioxide to phenolic resin is 1:0.5; thermostatic temperature is 1773 K, and thermostatic time is 2 h. The stepped structure on the surface of product formed due to recrystallization. The particle size of the obtained titanium nitride powders is about 0.5 μm.