• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2013

Tantalum carbide crystallites which is to be used for $H_2$ fuel cell has been synthesized via a temperature-programmed reduction of $Ta_2O_5$ with pure $CH_4$. The resultant Ta carbide crystallites prepared using two different heating rates and space velocity exhibit the different surface areas. The $O_2$ uptake has a linear relation with surface area, corresponding to an oxygen capacity of $1.36{\times}10^{13}\;O\;cm^{-2}$. Tantalum carbide crystallites are very active for hydrogen production form ammonia decomposition reaction. Tantalum carbides are as much as two orders of magnitude more active than Pt/C catalyst (Engelhard). The highest activity has been observed at a ratio of $C_1/Ta^{{\delta}+}=0.85$, suggesting the presence of electron transfer between metals and carbon in metal carbides.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2018

An ultra-high temperature ceramic, tantalum carbide, has received much attention for its favorable characteristics: a superior melting point and chemical compatibility with carbon and other carbides. One drawback is the high temperature erosion of carbon/carbon (C/C) composites. To address this drawback, we deposited TaC on C/C with silicon carbide as an intermediate layer. Prior to the TaC deposition, the $TaCl_5-C_3H_6-H_2$ system was thermodynamically analyzed with FactSage 6.2 and compared with the $TaCl_5-CH_4-H_2$ system. The results confirmed that the $TaCl_5-C_3H_6-H_2$ system had a more realistic cost and deposition efficiency than $TaCl_5-CH_4-H_2$. A dense and uniform TaC layer was successfully deposited under conditions of Ta/C = 0.5, $1200^{\circ}C$ and 100 torr. This study verified that the thermodynamic analysis is appropriate as a guide and prerequisite for carbide deposition.