The excellent mechanical and thermal resistance properties of transition metal nitrides and carbides make them desirable as potential nanofiller materials for high strength, flame-resistant nanocomposites. Powders of molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) and tungsten carbide (WC) were prepared by means of the temperature programmed reaction (TPR) method. Mo2C and WC were prepared using mixtures of methane and hydrogen gas.

Diespersed nanostructured crystallites of Mo2C and WC powders were synthesized via ultrasonic irradiation. Ultrasonic dispersion was employed by creating slurries of the metal carbides with de-ionized water and subjecting the samples to ultrasound energy by means of an ultrasonic horn. Samples were characterized using room temperature X-ray Diffraction (RTXRD), elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).