Preparation of silicon carbide nanofibrils from vapor grown carbon nanotubes

Book · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:470904

Niu, C; Moy, D ^[1]

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1. Hyperion Catalysis International, Cambridge, MA (United States)

SiC nanofibrils are of interest for their potential applications, particularly for the development of nanostructured ceramic (or metal) matrix composites. Methods of production of SiC nanofibrils in bulk quantity are essential for realization of these applications. The authors have prepared SiC nanofibrils with average diameters of 15 nm by direct reaction of carbon nanotubes with vapor phase SiO. The carbon nanotubes were prepared catalytically by decomposition of hydrocarbons in the commercial process; they are characterized by having uniform diameter of {approximately} 10 nm and multiple graphitic carbon layers arranged concentrically around the tube axis. Total conversion of the carbon nanotubes to SiC nanofibrils was easily achieved; the resulting SiC nanofibrils were highly crystallized {beta}-SiC, essentially free of SiC particles. The reaction between carbon nanotubes and SiO vapor was a pseudo-topotactic transformation since the macroscopic textures of the starting carbon nanotubes remained almost unchanged in the product. This synthetic approach utilizes high quality carbon nanotubes of high uniformity which are available on a commercial scale; thus applications of SiC nanofibrils in matrix composites on a commercial scale can be envisioned.

• OSTI ID: 470904
• Report Number(s): CONF-951155--; ISBN 1-55899-313-4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CARBON FIBERS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MORPHOLOGY
SILICON CARBIDES
SILICON OXIDES
SYNTHESIS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 1000-4000 K
TUBES
VAPORS