Titanic Nitride, Ti₃N₄

Titanic Nitride, Ti₃N₄, was obtained by Ruff and Treidel in the following way. When titanium tetrabromide ammonia, TiBr₄.8NH₃, was washed with liquid ammonia an orange-coloured, insoluble substance was obtained having a composition between

2Ti(NH₂)₄.TiBr₄.8NH₃ and 3Ti(NH)₂.TiBr₄.8NH₃.

When this product was treated with a solution of an equivalent amount of potassium amide in liquid ammonia a mixture was formed containing 20 per cent, of the original bromide, 10 per cent, of potassium hydrogen titanium di-imide, Ti(NH)NK, and 70 per cent, of titanic nitride, Ti₃N₄. This latter compound has a brown colour, is decomposed by heat into titanous nitride, TiN, and nitrogen, and by water into hydrated titanic oxide and ammonia.