Patent ID: 8753720

Claim:
A method for forming a refractory metal carbide coating, the method comprising the steps of: providing a refractory metal nanoparticle mixture including a solvent and a plurality of refractory metal nanoparticles, each of the plurality of refractory metal nanoparticles being surrounded by a layer of surfactant molecules; disposing the refractory metal nanoparticle mixture on a surface to be coated; heating the refractory metal nanoparticle mixture to a first temperature to evaporate the solvent and leave the plurality of refractory metal nanoparticles surrounded by surfactant molecules on the surface; and heating the plurality of refractory metal nanoparticles and the surfactant molecules while on the surface to a second temperature to thermally decompose the surfactant molecules and to react the plurality of refractory metal nanoparticles with carbon from the decomposed surfactant to provide a refractory metal carbide coating on the surface.