SYNTHESIS OF INTERMETALLIC NITRIDES BY SOLID-STATE PRECURSOR REDUCTION

Two intermetallic nitrides, Fe3Mo3N and Ni3-Mo3N, were prepared by amm onolysis of the solid state precursors FeMoO4 and NiMoO4. Fe3Mo3N is c ubic and was determined by Rietveld refinement to be isostructural to the cubic eta-carbide, Fe3W3C. This intermetallic structure contains N Mo6 edge-shared octahedra and pseudo-icosahedra Fe[Mo6Fe6] or Fe[Mo6Fe 4N2]. Ni3Mo3N does not have the eta-carbide phase but is a new orthorh ombic phase.