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Names | |
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IUPAC name
Chromium(II) carbide
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Other names
Chromium carbide
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Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol)
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ChemSpider | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.031.420 |
PubChem CID
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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Properties | |
Cr3C2 | |
Molar mass | 180.009 g/mol |
Appearance | gray orthorhombic crystals |
Density | 6.68 g/cm3 |
Melting point | 1,895 °C (3,443 °F; 2,168 K) |
Boiling point | 3,800 °C (6,870 °F; 4,070 K) |
reacts | |
Structure | |
Orthorhombic, oP20 | |
Pnma, No. 62 | |
Hazards | |
NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |
NIOSH (US health exposure limits): | |
PEL (Permissible)
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TWA 1 mg/m3[2] |
REL (Recommended)
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TWA 0.5 mg/m3[2] |
IDLH (Immediate danger)
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250 mg/m3[2] |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Chromium(II) carbide is a ceramic compound that exists in several chemical compositions: Cr3C2, Cr7C3, and Cr23C6. At standard conditions it exists as a gray solid. It is extremely hard and corrosion resistant. It is also a refractory compound, which means that it retains its strength at high temperatures as well. These properties make it useful as an additive to metal alloys. When chromium carbide crystals are integrated into the surface of a metal it improves the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the metal, and maintains these properties at elevated temperatures. The hardest and most commonly used composition for this purpose is Cr3C2.
The mineral form of the Cr3C2 compound is tongbaite.[3] Isovite, (Cr,Fe)
23C
6, is a related mineral. Both are extremely rare.[4] Yet another chromium-rich carbide mineral is yarlongite, Cr4Fe4NiC4.[5]