Wetting Behavior and Reactivity of Molten Silicon with h-BN Substrate at Ultrahigh Temperatures up to 1750 °C

Journal Article · Mon Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/S11665-017-3114-8· OSTI ID:22863299

Polkowski, Wojciech; Sobczak, Natalia; Nowak, Rafał; Kudyba, Artur; Bruzda, Grzegorz; Polkowska, Adelajda; Homa, Marta; Turalska, Patrycja ^[1]; Tangstad, Merete; Safarian, Jafar; Moosavi-Khoonsari, Elmira ^[2]; Datas, Alejandro ^[3]

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1. Foundry Research Institute (Poland)
2. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (Norway)
3. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto de Energía Solar (Spain)

For a successful implementation of newly proposed silicon-based latent heat thermal energy storage systems, proper ceramic materials that could withstand a contact heating with molten silicon at temperatures much higher than its melting point need to be developed. In this regard, a non-wetting behavior and low reactivity are the main criteria determining the applicability of ceramic as a potential crucible material for long-term ultrahigh temperature contact with molten silicon. In this work, the wetting of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) by molten silicon was examined for the first time at temperatures up to 1750 °C. For this purpose, the sessile drop technique combined with contact heating procedure under static argon was used. The reactivity in Si/h-BN system under proposed conditions was evaluated by SEM/EDS examinations of the solidified couple. It was demonstrated that increase in temperature improves wetting, and consequently, non-wetting-to-wetting transition takes place at around 1650 °C. The contact angle of 90° ± 5° is maintained at temperatures up to 1750 °C. The results of structural characterization supported by a thermodynamic modeling indicate that the wetting behavior of the Si/h-BN couple during heating to and cooling from ultrahigh temperature of 1750 °C is mainly controlled by the substrate dissolution/reprecipitation mechanism.

• OSTI ID: 22863299
• Journal Information: Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, Journal Name: Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 27; ISSN 1059-9495; ISSN JMEPEG
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BORON NITRIDES
CERAMICS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CRUCIBLES
DISSOLUTION
ENERGY STORAGE
MELTING POINTS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SILICON
SUBSTRATES
TEMPERATURE RANGE 1000-4000 K
THERMODYNAMICS
WETTABILITY