Zr3N4
Zr3N4 is a thermodynamically stable, semiconducting ultra-high-temperature ceramic used in advanced engineering applications requiring high thermal resistance.

About Zr3N4
Zirconium nitride is a robust semiconducting ceramic that maintains thermodynamic stability within the ultra-high-temperature material class. Its structural integrity makes it a significant subject of research for extreme environment engineering, supported by a vast array of documented structural variations.
This compound plays a vital role in the development of advanced materials capable of withstanding intense thermal stress. Its electronic character and stability profile position it as a key candidate for specialized coatings and high-performance structural components where conventional materials might fail.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Zr3N4, aggregated across 3 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Applications
Where Zr3N4 is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Zr3N4, answered from cross-validated data.
What is Zr3N4?
Zr3N4 is a thermodynamically stable, semiconducting ultra-high-temperature ceramic used in advanced engineering applications requiring high thermal resistance.
What is Zr3N4 used for?
What is the band gap of Zr3N4?
Is Zr3N4 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is Zr3N4 thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of Zr3N4 are known?
What elements does Zr3N4 contain?
Where does the data for Zr3N4 come from?
How It Compares
Within the ultra-high-temperature ceramics class.
Within the family of ultra-high-temperature ceramics, Zr3N4 shares a stable, high-performance profile with compounds like Hf3N4 and TaN. While carbides such as ZrC and CZr are more widely recognized for their extreme hardness and industrial prevalence, the nitride-based Zr3N4 offers distinct electronic properties that differentiate it from its metallic or purely covalent carbide siblings.
Related Compounds
Other Ultra-High-Temperature Ceramics in the database.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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