Importance of carbon-monoxide-induced reaction in microwave heating synthesis of β-SiC from silicon powder in air

Abstract

Microwave heating is known to provide extremely rapid synthesis of silicon carbide (SiC) from mixtures of silicon and carbon powders. The formation mechanism has long been considered to be a solid-state reaction among the powders in the mixture. Here, we present a new reaction mechanism via a gas-phase route. We have confirmed successful synthesis of β-SiC powder by microwave-heating of a small amount of Si powder that was entered into a quartz tube and then embedded in graphite powder, although no direct contact between the Si and graphite powders was allowed. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that the β-SiC powder was formed by direct carbonization of the Si powder. Since the atmosphere during the reaction comprises a vast majority of carbon monoxide (CO) gas according to the Boudouard equilibrium, the carbonization appears to have taken place via the CO gas. The contribution of such a gas-phase reaction could account in part for the rapidity of the microwave-heating reactions reported so far, which can hardly be explained solely by solid-state reactions among the mixed powders.