Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis of titanium nitride with the participation of ammonium chloride

We have studied the combustion of titanium in nitrogen in the presence of ammonium chloride. It has been shown that the use of NH4Cl in the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis of TiN considerably reduces the combustion temperature, prevents sintering of the synthesized titanium nitride particles, and increases their specific surface area. The synthesis products have the form of nanostructured titanium nitride particles which reproduce the shape of the starting titanium particles but consist of equiaxed titanium nitride grains ranging in size from 50 to 500 nm. We have obtained nanostructured titanium nitride powders ranging in specific surface area up to 80 m(2)/g.