Vol. 337 No. 3 (2026)
DOI https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/3/5269
Electric arc synthesis of titanium carbide using titanium oxide as raw material
Relevance. The need to develop energy-efficient and technologically simple methods for the synthesis of ultraluminous materials such as titanium carbide (TiC), which is in demand in the aerospace, metallurgical and electrical industries. Traditional methods of producing TiC require high energy consumption and complex equipment, which encourages the search for alternative approaches. Aim. To investigate the possibility of synthesis of titanium carbide by a vacuum-free electric arc method in an open-air environment using commercially available titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and carbon (P803). Methods. Electric arc synthesis in a DC reactor, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area and porous structure analysis. Results and conclusions. The proposed method makes it possible to synthesize titanium carbide with a specific energy consumption of ~100 kWh/kg, which is four times more energy efficient than the classical vacuum method. The main phase of the product is a cubic lattice TiC (parameter 4,321±0,005 Å). The effect of excess/lack of carbon in the charge on the composition of the product was established: with a stoichiometric ratio of TiO₂:C, TiC is formed with a minimum amount of impurities (graphite, rutile, anatase). The specific surface area of the obtained powder was 4.418 m2/g with a predominance of nanopores (2–10 nm). A promising area of further research is the use of titanium ores as raw materials for scaling the technology.
For citation: Svinukhova A.A., Pak A.Ya., Vlasov A.V., Spodina A.V., Shlyakhov T.S.Electric arc synthesis of titanium carbide using titanium oxide as raw material. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Assets Engineering, 2026, vol. 337, no. 3, pp. 120–127. https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/3/5269
Keywords:
titanium carbide, vacuum-free method, electric arc reactor, X-ray phase analysis, scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, Barrett–Joyner–Halenda method
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