Synthesis of WC powder through microwave heating of WO_3–C mixture

A simple,easy,and low-cost process for the fabrication of tungsten carbide(WC) powder through microwave heating of WO_3–C mixtures was developed. Thermodynamic calculations and experimental investigations were carried out for WO_3–C and W–C systems,and a formation mechanism was proposed. In the results,for the synthesis of WC,the use of over stoichiometric amount of C together with a specially assembled experimental setup(which effectively retains heat in the system) is necessary. The WC powder is successfully obtained by heating WO_3:5C mixture for 900 s in a domestic microwave oven.