The use of intermetallic alloy precursors is explored as a new means to synthesize complextransition and refractory metal nitrides, carbides, and related phases. The conditions underwhich model single-phase Cr
3Pt and two-phase Cr
3Pt-dispersed Cr alloys form Cr
3PtNantiperovskite when thermally nitrided were studied. Phenomenological experiments suggestthat the key variable to achieving single-phase Cr
3PtN surface layers is the Cr
3Pt phasecomposition. In two-phase
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
-Cr-Cr
3Pt alloys, the formation of single-phase Cr
3PtN at Cr
3Pt precipitates by in-place internal nitridation was found to be a strong function of the sizeof the Cr
3Pt dispersion in the microstructure. Nanoscale Cr
3Pt dispersions were readilyconverted to near single-phase Cr
3PtN, whereas nitridation of coarse Cr
3Pt particles resultedin a cellular or discontinuous-type reaction to form a lath mixture of Cr
3PtN and a moreCr-rich Cr
3Pt or
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
-Cr. The potential for using such external/internal oxidation phenomenaas a synthesis approach to layered or composite surfaces of ternary ceramic phases (nitrides,carbides, borides, etc.) of technological interest such as the Ti
3AlC
2 phase, bimetallic nitride,and carbide catalysts (Co
3Mo
3N and Co
3Mo
3C and related phases), and magnetic rare earthnitrides (Fe
17Sm
2N
x or Fe
17Nd
2N
x) is discussed.