Synthesis of novel multi-anion Hf0.8Zr0.2B0.1C0.5N0.4 powder

In this work, a novel multi-anion ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTCs) powder—Hf 0.8 Zr 0.2 B 0.1 C 0.5 N 0.4 , was designed and synthesized by carbothermal and borothermal reduction above 1400°C using B 4 C, carbon black, and N 2 as boron, carbon, and nitrogen sources, respectively. The as-synthesized Hf 0.8 Zr 0.2 B 0.1 C 0.5 N 0.4 powder has a rock-salt crystal structure and high compositional homogeneity, with lattice constant of 4.602 Å. It has an average particle size of ∼0.13 µm and low oxygen content of ∼0.43 wt%. This work not only expands the category of UHTCs but also opens a new insight to develop and design UHTCs with multi-anion and cation structures for performance optimization.