Kinetics of Reactions Between Silica and Carbon and the Formation of Silicon Carbide

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe reactions taking place between coarse grained mixtures of silica (cristobalite) and carbon (graphite) at 1558°C in pure CO as well as mixtures of CO and Ar, have been subjected to a thermogravimetric investigation. A model is developed in the regime where the formation of SiC does not take place. The primary steps are assumed to be: Reaction betweefn SiO2 and CO to give SiO(g) and CO2 followed by the reaction between CO2 and C to give CO. The model predicts the prevailing partial pressure of SiO throughout the charge, and the correlation between observations and model strongly supports the above given reaction mechanism.Enhanced and accelerating reaction rates were observed when the formation of β-SiC took place. It is suggested that this is due to the continuous formation of stable SiC-nucleus on the Csurface and the subsequent shortening of the diffusion path for SiO.