Covalent carbides mechanical properties

For a discussion of mechanical properties and variables see Sec. 4.1 of Ch. 4. The mechanical properties of the covalent carbides often show a large spread in the reported values mostly due to differences in the fabrication processes. In addition, the following factors influence mechanical testing ... 

The mechanical properties of the covalent carbides are summarized in Table 8.6. The values are average values reported in the recent literature.Hl li 25 ... 

Table 8.6 Mechanical Properties of Covalent Carbides and Other Refractory Compounds at 20°C...

A mixture of metallic, covalent and ionic components prevails in the bonding of transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides. The metallic character is shown by the high electrical conductivities of these compounds. The bonding mechanism has been described extensively by a variety of approaches for calculating the density of states (DOS) and hence the electron density in f.c.c. transition metal carbides, nitrides, and oxides [11]. In the DOS of these compounds there is a minimum at a valence electron concentration (VEC) of 8, which corresponds to the stoichiometric composition of the group ivb carbides TiC, ZrC, and HfC. Transition metal carbides have a lower DOS at the Fermi level than the corresponding transition metal nitrides, hence the electrical properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity and the superconducting transition temperature, T, are lower than those of the nitrides. 

Owing to the fact that valence electrons determine bonds, the electrical properties of a material are related to the bond type. In conductors such as metals, alloys, and intermetallics, the atoms are bound to each other primarily by metallic bonds, and metals such as tungsten or aluminum are good conductors of electrons or heat. Covalent bonds occur in insulators such as diamond and silicon carbide and in semiconductors such as silicon or gallium arsenide. Complexes and salts have ions that are bound with electrostatic forces. Ionic conductors can be used as solid electrolytes for fuel cells because solids with ionic bonds may have mobile ions. Most polymers have covalent bonds in their chains but the mechanical... 

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