TaC_x (x = 0.5, 0.55, 0.6, 0.7) ceramics with 20 mol% Fe, Co or Ni addition were prepared by hot pressing TaC and Ta powder mixtures at 1800 °C. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy and selected area electron diffraction were used to investigate the constituent phases and microstructures of the composites. Vickers hardness, flexural strength and fracture toughness were measured. Intermetallic compounds Fe₇Ta₃, Co₂Ta and Ni₃Ta were formed due to reactions of Fe, Co and Ni with Ta. The remaining TaC and Ta reacted to form hexagonal Ta₂C, rhombohedral ζ-Ta₄C_3-z or cubic TaC_y depending on the overall C:Ta ratios. The microstructure of the TaC_0.5–20 mol% Fe, Co, Ni compositions (where C:Ta = 0.5) were composed of intermetallics and fine anisotropic Ta₂C and ζ-Ta₄C_3-z grains. As the C:Ta ratio increased to 0.55–0.7, the ζ-Ta₄C_3-z and TaC_y grains were enlarged in size and equiaxed in the TaC_0.55- and TaC_0.6-, and TaC_0.7–20 mol% Fe, Co, Ni compositions. Addition of Ni instead of Fe and Co benefitted to refine microstructures of the composites. The TaC_0.5–20 mol% Fe, Co, Ni compositions had good flexural strength (580-650 MPa) and fracture toughness (9.3–9.5 MPa·m^1/2) due to growth of fine lamellar grains, despite the high Ta₂C content.

通过在1800°C下热压TaC和Ta粉末混合物来制备添加了20 mol％Fe，Co或Ni的TaC _x（x = 0.5、0.55、0.6、0.7）陶瓷。利用X射线衍射，扫描电子显微镜，透射电子显微镜，高分辨率透射电子显微镜，X射线能量色散光谱和选择区域电子衍射研究了复合材料的组成相和微观结构。测定了维氏硬度，弯曲强度和断裂韧性。由于Fe，Co和Ni与Ta的反应，形成了金属间化合物Fe ₇ Ta ₃，Co ₂ Ta和Ni ₃ Ta。剩余的TaC和Ta反应形成六角形Ta ₂ C，菱面体ζ-Ta₄ C _3-z或立方TaC _y取决于总的C：Ta比。的的TaC微结构_0.5 -20摩尔％的Fe，钴，镍的组合物（其中，C：钽= 0.5）的组成的金属间化合物和细各向异性的Ta ₂ C和ζ-TA ₄ Ç _3-Z晶粒。作为C：Ta比提高到0.55-0.7，所述ζ-TA ₄ Ç _3-Z和TAC _ÿ晶粒尺寸被扩大和等轴在的TaC _0.55 -和TAC _0.6 - ，和TAC _0.7 -20摩尔％的Fe，钴，镍组成。用Ni代替Fe和Co有利于细化复合材料的微观结构。TaC _0.5尽管Ta ₂ C含量高，但由于细小的层状晶粒的生长，–20 mol％的Fe，Co，Ni成分仍具有良好的抗弯强度（580-650 MPa）和断裂韧性（9.3-9.5 MPa·m ^1/2）。