Process for producing carbides

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR PREPARING A METALLIC CARBIDE WHICH COMPRISES (1) REACTING HYDROGEN WITH FLUIDIZED, SOLID PARTICLES OF A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TUNGSTEN OXIDES, MOLYBDENUM OXIDES, TUNGSTEN AND MOLYBDENUM COMPOUNDS WHICH ARE THERMALLY DECOMPOSABLE INTO OXIDES BELOW THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE OXIDES ARE REDUCED BY HYDROGEN TO THE METALLIC STATE, AND MIXTURES THEREOF, IN A FLUIDIZED BED OF SOLID PARTICLES SUSPENDED IN THE HYDROGEN GAS PHASE, HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 400*C., (2) HEATING THE FLUIDIZED BED TO A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 800*C. AND INTRODUCING A CARBURIZING GAS INTO THE HYDROGEN GAS PHASE OF SAID FLUIDIZED BED OF SOLID PARTICLES BEFORE THE METALLIC OXIDE PARTICLES HAVE BEEN REDUCED SUFFICIENTLY TO THE METALLIC STATE WHERE THE IMPINGING PARTICLES AGGLOMERATE AND (3) CONTINUING THE FLOW OF CARBURIZING GAS AND HYDROGEN WHILE MAINTAINING SAID FLUIDIZED BED OF SOLID PARTICLES AT A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 800*C. UNTIL THE SOLID PARTICLES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL CONVERTED TO THE METALLIC CARBIDE HAVING THE FORMULA MC WHERE M IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MOLYBDENUM AND TUNGSTEN.