The nucleation and growth behavior, microstructure, and preferred orientation of chromium carbide and niobium carbide coatings formed using a borax bath were studied, focusing on the effects of the carbide species, coating temperature and substrate steel. The growth behavior of these carbides is the same as that of vanadium carbide found in previous research. However, large differences in the morphology, topography, preferred orientation? etc., were found between the carbides species.