This report was prepared a s an account of Government sponsored work. Neither the United States, nor the Commission, nor any pereon acting on behalf of the Commission: A. M a b e any warranty or representation. expressed or implied, with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or ueefulness of the informatfon contained in this report, or that the use of any information, apparatue, method, or proceea discloeed in this report may not infringe privately owned righta; or B. Aesumes any liabutfea

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... respect to the w e of, or for damages resulting from the use of any fnformation. a p p a r a~, method, o r process disclosed in this report. As used in the above, "person acting on behalf of the Cornmiridon" includes any employee or contractor of the Commieaion, or emplpyee of such contractor, to the extent that such employee or contractor of the Comrnieeion, or employee of such contractor prepares, dleeeminates, or provides accelrs to, any information pursuant to his employment or contract with the Commiesion, or his employment with such contractor. This report expresses the opinions of the author o r authors and does not necesaaplly reflect the opinlona o r viewe of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. Printed in the United States ABSTRACT The problems associated with the development of a procurement epecification f o r camnercial carbide powders through powder characterization are reported. The morphological types of structures observed i n ccarmercial NbC, TaC, and ZrC powders are discussed. Also given are the results obtained f o r the various pertinetera determined t o characterize powders. A technique for using these parameters i n developing a procurement specification f o r a carbide powder t o meet a particular requirement i s proposed.