Abstract: Vanadium nitrides were prepared via one step method of carbothermal reduction and nitridation of vanadium trioxide. Thermalgravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction were used to determine the reaction paths of vanadium carbide, namely the following sequential reaction: V2O3→V8C7 in higher temperature stage, the rule of vanadium nitride synthesized was established, and defined conditions of temperature for the production of the carbides and nitrides were determined. Vanadium oxycarbide may consist in the front process of carbothermal reduction of vanadium trioxide. In one step method for vanadium nitride by carbothermal reduction and nitridation of vanadium trioxide, the nitridation process is simultaneous with the carbothermal reduction. A one-step mechanism of the carbothermal reduction with simultaneous nitridation leaded to a lower terminal temperature in nitridation process for vanadium nitride produced, compared with that of carbothermal reduction process without nitridation. The grain size and shape of vanadium nitride were uniform, and had the shape of a cube. The one step method combined vacuum carborization and nitridation (namely two step method) into one process. It simplified the technological process and decreased the costs.

Key words: Vanadium nitride, Vanadium trioxide, Carbothermal reduction, Nitridation, One step method