carbide
/'kɑ:baid/
Definition
- Noun:
- A binary compound of carbon with a more electropositive element: In chemistry, a "carbide" is a solid material formed by combining carbon with a metal (like calcium or tungsten) or sometimes with certain other elements that are less electronegative than carbon.
Usage
- General Use: The term is primarily used in scientific, industrial, and technical contexts, such as chemistry, metallurgy, and materials science.
- Key Point: The element combined with carbon is typically a metal (e.g., iron, tungsten, calcium) or boron/silicon, making it more electropositive (more likely to donate electrons) than carbon itself.
Examples
- Noun:
- Calcium carbide is used in the production of acetylene gas.
- The cutting tool is tipped with tungsten carbide for durability.
- Silicon carbide is an important abrasive material.
Advanced Usage
- "Carbide lamp": A historical mining lamp that produces light by burning acetylene gas generated from calcium carbide and water.
- Miners used carbide lamps before the widespread adoption of electric lights.
- "Carbide tool/insert": A cutting tool made from or tipped with tungsten carbide, known for its hardness.
- The machinist selected a carbide insert for milling the tough steel alloy.
Variants and Related Words
- Calcium carbide (n): A specific compound (CaC₂) that reacts with water to produce acetylene.
- Tungsten carbide (n): An extremely hard compound (WC) used in cutting tools, abrasives, and jewelry.
- Silicon carbide (n): A compound (SiC) used as an abrasive and in high-temperature semiconductors.
- Carbide-derived carbon (n): A family of carbon materials produced by selectively removing the metal from a carbide.
Synonyms
- Binary carbon compound: A more general descriptive term.
- Interstitial compound: Refers to some carbides where carbon atoms occupy spaces in the metal's crystal lattice (e.g., tungsten carbide).
Notes on Meaning
- The definition is chemically precise. In common parlance, "carbide" often refers specifically to very hard materials like tungsten carbide used in tools, rather than the broad chemical class.
- It does not refer to carbohydrates or hydrocarbon fuels.
Noun
-
a binary compound of carbon with a more electropositive element
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