Preparation of tetragonal zirconia containing titanium nitride powder by in-situ selective nitridation

A novel in-situ preparation technique has been developed for selective reaction in solid solution. A thermodynamic approach was employed to analyze the selective nitridation conditions of the (Zr,Ti)O₂ solid solution system and to define the temperature range of the selective nitridation. Tetragonal zirconia containing titanium nitride powder was synthesized by carbothermal reduction under a nitrogen atmosphere in the selected temperature range. The influence of reaction temperature on selective nitridation was evaluated by X-ray diffraction. Elemental quantitative analysis showed that the ratio of selective nitridation of titanium oxide reached about 93%. The morphology of the resultant powder was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The average particle size of the powders obtained was found to be in the range 300-400 nm.