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Title: Synthesis and characterization of SiC whiskers

Journal Article · · Journal of Materials Research; (United States)
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)
  2. High Temperature Materials Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)

SiC whiskers were synthesized by the carbothermal reduction of silica with an addition of halide (3NaF{center dot}AlF{sub 3} or NaF) as an auxiliary bath. The whiskers were {beta} phase (3C) and grew in the (111) direction. Three distinctive morphologies were observed: (1) Type A: thin and straight; (2) Type B: thick and bamboo-like; and (3) Type C: thick, straight, and smooth. Type A whiskers contained a high density of basal plane (111) stacking faults along their entire length, whereas Type B whiskers showed periodic changes between stacking faults and well-defined single crystals. Type C whiskers showed stacking faults on the other {l brace}111{r brace} planes instead of on the basal (111) plane. Silica formed molten fluorosilicate with halide and SiC grew via a vapor-solid reaction mechanism through gaseous SiO. These reactions can be expressed as (SiO{sub 2})+C(s)=SiO(g)+CO(g) and SiO(g)+3CO(g)=SiC(s)+2CO{sub 2}(g). The effects of processing parameters on the morphology and size of the whiskers were examined and the relationship between the morphological development of the whiskers and the stacking fault energy was determined.

DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
5003611
Journal Information:
Journal of Materials Research; (United States), Vol. 7:1; ISSN 0884-2914
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English