Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 March 2019
This paper deals with some recent investigations on beryllides, borides, carbides, nitrides, aluminides, and germanides of transition metals as well as with combinations of these with special reference to hafnium and uranium compounds. The results will be discussed within the general field of refractories excluding the class of typical oxides. An intense study has revealed the influence of metalloid impurities (for instance carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen on high-melting borides and silicides or nitrogen and oxygen or carbides, respectively). Very often small amounts of such metalloids introduced by preparation techniques, like hot-pressing, sintering, and powder-reaction methods may change the constitution of the system.