Zirconium carbide

Zirconium carbide (ZrC) is an extremely hard refractory ceramic material, commercially used in tool bits for cutting tools. It is usually processed by sintering. It has the appearance of a gray metallic powder with cubic crystal structure. It is highly corrosion resistant.

Zirconium carbide reacts with water and acids and is pyrophoric.

Mixture of zirconium carbide and tantalum carbide is an important cermet material.

Hafnium-free zirconium carbide and niobium carbide can be used as refractory coatings in nuclear reactors. Zirconium carbide is used extensively as coating of uranium dioxide and thorium dioxide particles of nuclear fuel. The coating is usually deposited by thermal chemical vapor deposition in a fluidized bed reactor.

It is also used as an abrasive, in metal cladding, in cermets, incandescent filaments and cutting tools.