Titanium Carbonitride Powder Particle Size Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing titanium carbonitride powders used in cutting tools have limitations in fracture toughness and thermal conductivity due to small average particle size and variations in particle size distribution, leading to decreased performance in hard materials.
Innovation Solution
A titanium carbonitride powder with a particle size distribution of D50 from 2.0 μm to 6.0 μm and D10/D90 from 0.20 to 0.50, manufactured by mixing titanium oxide and carbon powders without pulverization and heat-treating them in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere at 2,000°C to 2,500°C, resulting in a coarse and uniformly sized powder that enhances fracture toughness and thermal conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If titanium hydride and carbon powder are mixed and pulverized in a ball mill, then the powder can be heat-treated to form titanium carbonitride, but the average particle size becomes small (3 μm or less) and fracture toughness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the heat treatment temperature parameter from the conventional 1,400-1,700°C to a higher range of 2,000-2,500°C. This parameter change enables the formation of titanium carbonitride with coarser particle sizes (D50 of 2.0-6.0 μm) while maintaining uniform size distribution (D10/D90 of 0.20-0.50), thereby improving fracture toughness without sacrificing manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary mixing of titanium oxide powder and carbon powder without pulverization before heat treatment. This preliminary action preserves the particle size of the starting materials and prevents excessive fine particle formation, which subsequently leads to better fracture toughness in the final titanium carbonitride product
2Manufacturing precision
If titanium hydride and carbon powder are mixed and pulverized in a ball mill, then the powder can be heat-treated to form titanium carbonitride, but variations in particle size distribution occur and thermal conductivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the heat treatment temperature parameter to 2,000-2,500°C, which promotes uniform phase transformation and grain growth. This results in a narrow particle size distribution (D10/D90 of 0.20-0.50) and reduces phonon scattering, thereby improving thermal conductivity while maintaining manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary mixing without pulverization to establish a uniform distribution of starting materials before heat treatment. This preliminary action ensures homogeneous reaction products with consistent particle sizes, reducing variations in the final titanium carbonitride powder and improving thermal conductivity
3Reliability
If heat treatment is performed at 1,400°C to 1,700°C in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere, then titanium carbonitride can be formed, but the particle size is too small and fracture toughness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent increases the heat treatment temperature parameter from 1,400-1,700°C to 2,000-2,500°C. This parameter change enables the formation of titanium carbonitride with optimized particle sizes (D50 of 2.0-6.0 μm) that provide sufficient fracture toughness while maintaining reliable phase composition and material properties
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting hard material exhibits improved fracture toughness and thermal conductivity by inhibiting crack propagation and reducing phonon scattering, while maintaining sufficient sinterability and mechanical strength.
Implementation Method 1
a heat treatment step of heating the mixed powder in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere at a temperature of from higher than 2,000° C. to 2,500° C. to obtain a titanium carbonitride powder
Data Source
AI summary
A titanium carbonitride powder for use as a starting material for a hard material satisfies a D50 of from 2.0 μm to 6.0 μm and a D10/D90 of from 0.20 to 0.50, wherein D50 is a particle size at a cumulative percentage of 50% of a particle size distribution by volume, D10 is a particle size at a cumulative percentage of 10% of the particle size distribution by volume, and D90 is a particle size at a cumulative percentage of 90% of the particle size distribution by volume.