This book presents a systematic description of the electronic and physicochemical properties of one of the most interesting and promising groups of compounds: refractory carbides and nitrides of d- and f-metals.

Though investigations of the chemical synthesis and physico-chemical properties of these phases have rather a long history, great attention has been paid recently to the nature of so unique a combination of physical and chemical characteristics, such as high melting temperatures, hardness, elastic properties, electromagnetic and superconductivity parameters, etc. These properties ensure an extensive and growing application of carbides and nitrides of d- and f-metals in modern technology, as the basis for development of new composite materials and various corrosion and wear-resistant coatings.

The other properties of carbides and nitrides, such as high-temperature plasticity, electric and thermal conductivity, catalytic activity in some heterogeneous chemical processes, radiation resistance and the superconductivity of some carbides and nitrides at low temperatures, are well known and extensively used. The specific feature of the phases considered is the existence of a wide homogeneity region, in which one observes the formation of a large number of vacancies in both the nonmetal and metal sublattices, whilst the type of crystal structure is preserved. A deviation from the stoichiometry of the compounds leads to sharp changes in the whole set of their physical and chemical properties. This makes it possible, within a certain structure type, to change the properties of the phases, by varying their composition. Moreover, in common with many other interstitial phases, carbides and nitrides can form numerous solid solutions, some of which reveal improved (as compared to the initial compounds) physico-chemical characteristics.