Silicon carbide SIC

Silicon carbide SIC

Silicon carbide is characterized by high mechanical characteristics (hardness, modulus of elasticity), which determine the increased performance of materials based on it. The combination of high thermal conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion determines the resistance of silicon carbide at high heating rates and under stationary thermal conditions.

Depending on the manufacturing technology, silicon carbide is divided into:

1. Reaction sintered silicon carbide (SIC/Q₂) - which is produced by a densification and hardening process, i.e. when exposed to high temperatures, a porous workpiece made from a mixture of silicon carbide and carbon materials is impregnated with a liquid reagent - silicon melt, with the formation of secondary silicon carbide, which binds the original components into a dense material.
2. Hot-pressed - sintered silicon carbide (SSIC/Q₁) - is obtained by preliminary grinding a mixture of silicon with graphite, and sintering the compacts in argon for 15 minutes. In this case, silicon carbide materials with a pore size of 0.2 μm are obtained. Its subspecies is also solid silicon carbide, non-pressure sintered (SSIC), which is by far the most applicable for concentrated alkaline-acid environments.