Modified carbothermal reduction for the synthesis of ultrafine particle tungsten compounds dispersed in a microporous carbon matrix

Abstract

A selective, low-temperature carbothermal reduction (CTR) process with metal ion-exchanged resin has been proposed. The tungsten compounds prepared by this method consisted of ultrafine particles of around 10–20 nm in diameter which were dispersed highly in the porous carbon matrix. The new CTR process is applicable for any other metal elements, depending on the combination of resin type, metal ionic species and heat treatment conditions.