The Vickers hardness of TaB and TaB2 films and crystals is ~30 GPa.[1][2][3] Those materials are stable to oxidation below 700°C and to acid corrosion.[1][3]
TaB2 has the same hexagonal structure as most diborides (AlB2, MgB2, etc.).[4] The mentioned borides have the following space groups: TaB (orthorhombic, Thallium(I) iodide-type, Cmcm), Ta5B6 (Cmmm), Ta3B4 (Immm), TaB2 (hexagonal, aluminum diboride-type, P6/mmm).[3]
Preparation
Single crystals of TaB, Ta5B6, Ta3B4 or TaB2 (about 1cm diameter, 6cm length) can be produced by the floating zone method.[2][3]
Tantalum boride films can be deposited from a gas mixture of TaCl5-BCl3-H2-Ar in the temperature range 540–800°C. TaB2 (single-phase) is deposited at a source gas flow ratio (BCl3/TaCl5) of six and a temperature above 600°C. TaB (single-phase) is deposited at BCl3/TaCl5 = 2–4 and T = 600–700°C.[1]
Nanocrystals of TaB2 were successfully synthesized by the reduction of Ta2O5 with NaBH4 using a molar ratio M:B of 1:4 at 700-900°C for 30 min under argon flow.[5]
1 2 3 4 Okada, Shigeru; Kudou, Kunio; Higashi, Iwarni; Lundström, Torsten (1993). "Single crystals of TaB, Ta5B6, Ta3B4 and TaB2, as obtained from high-temperature metal solutions, and their properties". Journal of Crystal Growth. 128 (1–4). Elsevier BV: 1120–1124. Bibcode:1993JCrGr.128.1120O. doi:10.1016/s0022-0248(07)80109-6. ISSN0022-0248.
↑ Chen, Xing-Qiu; Fu, C. L.; Krčmar, M.; Painter, G. S. (2008-05-16). "Electronic and Structural Origin of Ultraincompressibility of 5d Transition-Metal Diborides MB2 (M=W, Re, Os)". Physical Review Letters. 100 (19) 196403. American Physical Society (APS). Bibcode:2008PhRvL.100s6403C. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.100.196403. ISSN0031-9007. PMID18518467.
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