Karbidit

Karbidit, known in English as carbide, is a chemical compound that consists of carbon combined with a less electropositive element. In Turkish usage the term karbidit covers a broad class of binary compounds formed by carbon with metals or semi‑metals. Carbides can be ionic, covalent, or a mix of bonding types, and they are typically characterized by high hardness and high melting points.

Carbides are commonly grouped into metallic and nonmetallic types. Calcium carbide (CaC2) is produced industrially by reacting lime with coke at high temperatures; when hydrolyzed it releases acetylene, a valuable chemical feedstock and fuel. Transition metal carbides such as tungsten carbide (WC), titanium carbide (TiC), and tantalum carbide (TaC) are among the hardest known materials and are widely used in cutting tools, wear-resistant coatings, and industrial abrasives. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a covalent carbide occurring naturally as the mineral moissanite and widely manufactured for abrasives and as a semiconductor material.

Natural occurrences vary. Some carbides occur as minerals on Earth in trace amounts (for example, moissanite, SiC, found in meteorites), but many commercially important carbides are produced synthetically. Cementite (Fe3C) is a well-known iron carbide that forms within steel and cast iron, playing a key role in the material’s microstructure rather than existing as a separate natural mineral.

Karbidit thus encompasses a diverse family of carbon compounds with broad industrial and scientific relevance.