Fabrication of zirconium carbide (ZrC) ultra-thin fibers by electrospinning

Zirconium carbide (ZrC) nanofibers were successfully fabricated by electrospinning and annealing. The electrospinning solution was prepared by dissolving zirconium acetyl acetonate, phenolic resins in a solvent mixture of ethyl alcohol and 2,4-pentanedione. Electrospinning was carried out successfully at a positive voltage of 26 kV, with a mass flow rate of 1.0 mL/h, and a working distance of 10 cm. The ZrC phase was produced by annealing the electrospun precursors at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1600 °C for 2 h in a flowing argon atmosphere. The ZrC nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.