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Updated: Sep 13, 2025
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Synthesis and Reaction Chemistry of Nanosize Monosodium Titanate
Published on: February 23, 2016
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Titanium surface nitriding by sodium amide in molten salts
Tao Wang1, Yiyu Wang2, Siyuan Gao1
1Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA. wangt@ornl.gov.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|August 1, 2025
Summary
Researchers created a hard titanium nitride layer on titanium foil using sodium amide in molten salts. This significantly enhanced the material's mechanical properties, making it much stronger.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Engineering
- Electrochemistry
Background:
- Titanium nitride (TiN) coatings enhance the surface properties of titanium.
- Developing efficient methods for TiN layer formation is crucial for advanced applications.
- Molten salt electrochemistry offers a promising route for materials synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize a crystalline titanium nitride (TiN) layer on titanium foil.
- To investigate the use of sodium amide (NaNH2) as a nitrogen source in LiCl-KCl molten salts.
- To evaluate the mechanical properties of the resulting TiN-coated titanium.
Main Methods:
- Titanium foil was immersed in LiCl-KCl molten salts containing sodium amide (NaNH2).
- A crystalline TiN layer was formed on the titanium surface through a chemical reaction.
- Nanoindentation testing was performed to measure the surface hardness of the coated and uncoated titanium.
Main Results:
- A crystalline titanium nitride (TiN) layer was successfully formed on the titanium foil.
- The nitrided surface exhibited a significant increase in hardness, reaching approximately 20.6 GPa.
- This represents a greater than four-fold improvement in hardness compared to the untreated titanium substrate.
Conclusions:
- Sodium amide in LiCl-KCl molten salts is an effective nitrogen source for TiN layer formation on titanium.
- The synthesized TiN layer imparts exceptional mechanical properties, significantly enhancing titanium's hardness.
- This method provides a viable route for producing high-hardness TiN coatings for demanding applications.
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