Mechanochemical synthesis of Co3C carbide with carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Nanoscaled (about 15 nm of size) metastable carbide Co3C was synthesized in a high-energy planetary ball mill by mechanical alloying of a mixture of powder cobalt (75 at. %) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNT, 25 at. %). Phase transformation takes place at reaction milling according to the reaction hcp-Co + CNT ® Co3C (reaction time is 120 - 220 min). The crystal structure of the Co3C carbide formed in the milling products was studied by X-ray diffraction method. It has revealed that the Co3C phase crystallizes in a Fe3C-type structure with a = 0.4982(3) nm, b = 0.6715(6) nm, c = 0.4457(7) nm, Pnma space group. The reliability factor RB is equal to 0.065 for 48 reflections presented at diffraction pattern. It is found that the crystal structure of the Co3C carbide obtained by reaction milling of the Co-CNT charge is significantly internally deformed (distortion degree of the CCo6 octahedron is 3.67 %) and contains the reduced interatomic Co-C distances (up to 0.188 nm). It was shown that the use of carbon nanotubes instead of graphite substantially reduces the duration of the Co3C carbide synthesis.