Influence of Temperature on the APT Carborreduction Process for Obtaining Nanocrystalline WC Powder from Sheelite Concentrate

Tungsten carbide (WC) is a highly relevant material due to its exceptional catalytic properties and applications in composite materials and cutting tools. The production of nanocrystalline and ultrafine WC powders contributes to enhanced properties in these applications. Therefore, this study aims to obtain nanocrystalline WC powders with a high surface area from ammonium paratungstate (APT) derived from scheelite concentrate. To achieve this, a gas-solid reaction (carbothermal reduction) of APT was carried out at different temperatures under a mixed H2/CH4 atmosphere. The results showed that the WC powders obtained at 850°C present a higher purity with a crystallite size of 15.8 nm composed of agglomerates of ultrafine particles of 159 μm.