Synthesis of self-passivated, and carbide-stabilized zirconium nanopowder

An electrochemical technique was used to synthesis air-stable zirconium nanoparticles by cathodically reducing a precursor of ZrO2 and carbon. It was possible by controlling the carbon content and the heat treatment procedure prior to the electro-deoxidation to produce different structures. At low carbon content and low initial sintering temperature, the nanoparticles are about 100 nm and tend to agglomerate to form micron-sized clusters passivated by a layer rich in oxygen. The passivation protocol has changed and was achieved through the strong Zr–C bond on the dispersed particles when ZrC was present in the cathode before electrolysis. It was also possible to control the size of the particles as small as 25 nm or less.