ChemInform Abstract: Kinetics and Mechanism of Carbothermic Reduction of MoO3 to Mo2C

The kinetics of carbothermic reduction of molybdenum oxide with homogeneously mixed carbon black was studied under non-isothermal heating conditions using a thermobalance. The evolved gases (CO and CO 2 ) were analysed by a gas chromatograph. A mechanism is proposed to explain the stepwise conversion of oxide to carbide. A model representing stepwise conversion of the above reduction has been developed and the probable rate controlling steps, for different reactions, have been identified.