Diffusion Of Carbon Atoms Research Articles

Densification, microstructures, and mechanical properties of (Zr, Ti)(C, N) ceramics fabricated by spark plasma sintering

Dense (Zr, Ti) (C, N) ceramics were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1900–2000 °C using ZrC, TiCN and ZrH2 powders as raw materials. A single Zr-rich (Zr, Ti)(C, N) solid solution was formed in Zr0.95Ti0.05C0.975N0.025 and Zr0.80Ti0.20C0.90N0.10 ceramics (nominal composition). A Ti-rich solid solution appears in Zr0.50Ti0.50C0.75N0.25 ceramics. The coaddition of TiCN and ZrH2 promoted the densification of (Zr, Ti) (C, N) ceramics by forming solid solutions and carbon vacancies, which could reduce critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) and promote carbon and metal atom diffusion. ZrC-45 mol% TiCN-10 mol% ZrH2 (raw powder composition) possesses good comprehensive mechanical properties (Vickers hardness of 24.5 ± 0.9 GPa, flexural strength of 503 ± 51 MPa, and fracture toughness of 4.3 ± 0.2 MPa·m1/2), which reach or exceed most ZrC-based (Zr, Ti) C and (Zr, Ti) (C, N) ceramics in previous reports.

Strain rate-temperature coupling deformation mechanism and constitutive relationship of D2 wheel steel for high-speed EMUs

<p indent="0mm">With the increasing speed of trains and the increasingly complex and changeable service conditions, higher demands are forward for the safety and reliability of train components. Wheelsets are the key components in ensuring the safe operation of high-speed trains and may be subjected to significant dynamic impact loads during service due to the existence of wheel-rail defects such as rail corrugation and wheel irregularity. Due to the geographical and climatic characteristics of wide span and large temperature difference in China and the traction/braking of trains, thermal and mechanical stress may exist and superimpose on each other in the wheel-rail contact area, which leads to a reduction in material load-bearing capacity and endangering the safety of train operation. Therefore, clarifying the internal relationship between the dynamic mechanical properties and the microstructural evolution of wheel steel, revealing the strain rate- and temperature-sensitivities and plastic deformation mechanism of the material, and constructing an accurate constitutive model to describe the dynamic mechanical response of the material are still the key problem to be solved urgently in the study of the impact dynamics of the wheel-rail system. In this paper, the compressive mechanical behavior of D2 wheel steel in the temperature range of <sc>293–873 K</sc> and the strain rate range of <sc>0.001–2400 s^–1</sc> was investigated experimentally using the Gleeble-3800 thermal simulation testing machine and the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) device, the effect of strain rate and temperature on the quasi-static and dynamic mechanical properties of the material was analyzed, the strain rate- and temperature-sensitivities of wheel steel were discussed. In addition, the compression deformation mechanism of D2 wheel steel under different strain rates and temperatures was revealed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) technologies. Finally, the modified Johnson-Cook model was obtained to characterize the plastic flow behavior of the material based on the compression test results. The following conclusions are made based on the experimental results: (1) The compression mechanical response of D2 wheel steel displays obvious power-hardening plastic response characteristics, and there is no obvious yield plateau in stress-strain curves. The yield strength and flow stress of wheel steel increase with increasing strain rate and decreasing temperature, which shows significant strain rate strengthening effect and temperature softening effect. The strain rate- and temperature-sensitivities of D2 wheel steel are synthetically influenced by strain rate, temperature and deformation level. (2) The microstructure of D2 wheel steel is composed of lamellar pearlite and pro-eutectoid ferrite. The increase in test temperature will promote the dynamic recrystallization of ferrite inside the material, the decomposition, melting, diffusion of carbon atoms and granular precipitation of cementite under quasi-static loading. As the strain rate increases, the cementite lamellae of pearlite inside the material are sheared, broken and spheroidized, and the ferrite produces large plastic deformation, while the temperature has less effect on the evolution of the microstructure of the material under dynamic loading. (3) By modifying the strain rate and temperature terms of the classic Johnson-Cook model based on the compressive test results of D2 wheel steel, the modified Johnson-Cook model which has higher prediction accuracy for the plastic flow behavior of D2 wheel steel in the temperature range of <sc>293–873 K</sc> and the strain rate range of <sc>10^–3–2400 s^–1</sc> is obtained. The research results can provide important technical support for accurately evaluating the service safety and developing and establishing the service safety evaluation method and standard system of the wheel-rail system.

Evolution of Eutectic Carbide during M7C3/M23C6 in situ Transformation in Martensitic Stainless Steel

The M7C3/M23C6 in situ transformation in high‐carbon martensitic stainless steel is investigated. Eutectic Cr‐rich M7C3 carbide is generated during solidification; it is metastable and can almost completely transform into other phases when the temperature is &lt;1000 °C. The eutectic M7C3 carbide transforms into an M7C3–M23C6 core–shell structure after heat treatment at 1000 °C for 1 h and then completely transforms into M23C6 carbides after heat treatment at 1000 °C for 7 h. The eutectic M7C3 carbide with the same orientation in the as‐cast state transforms into dozens of M23C6 carbide grains with varying orientations during in situ transformation, and the transformed M23C6 carbides have no constant orientation relationship with the adjacent matrix and eutectic M7C3 carbide core. The formation of the M23C6 shell is the result of not only the in situ transformation but also the coarsening of M23C6 carbides. The diffusion of carbon atoms in the M23C6 shell is the restrictive factor of M7C3/M23C6 in situ transformation and maintains transformation. The diffusion of chromium atoms in the matrix is the restrictive factor in the coarsening of the M23C6 shell, which continues coarsening and results in a significant increase in the final area fraction of carbides.

Microscopic investigation of Cu-induced crystallization of amorphous carbon at low temperatures

Graphene or graphene-like carbon-reinforced copper matrix composites have gained extensive application prospects in aerospace and electronic fields due to their high electrical, thermal conductivity and excellent machining performance. The preparation of Cu/graphene composites at a relatively low temperature is highly demanded for practical applications. Herein, we develop an approach for synthesizing few-layer graphene (FLG) by contacting amorphous carbon (a-C) with Cu at a low annealing temperature of 300 °C. The mechanism of such low-temperature growth of graphene was discussed by the combined experimental methods of scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It is found that the formation of FLG is mediated by the grain-boundary (GB) diffusion, interfacial diffusion and surface diffusion of carbon atoms simultaneously. The high density of Cu GBs can provide a fast diffusion path for “free” C atoms in the a-C sublayer, and the graphene layer was formed at the Cu GBs, at the Cu/a-C interface and on top of the Cu layer where carbon atoms are present. The Cu-induced growth of graphene at low temperatures may provide a promising support for synthesizing Cu/graphene composites in the future.

Atomic-scale interfacial diffusion of diamond into titanium: Phase transition and layer dependence

The diffusion wear of diamond is a commonly recognized wear mode at high temperatures, while the atomic-scale diffusion behavior and the initiation mechanism are scarcely reported. In this work, we conduct a reactive molecular dynamics study to unveil the diffusion mechanism of diamond into titanium from an atomistic perspective. It is found that substantial diffusion of carbon atoms into titanium at a nanoscale temperature occurs at the temperature over 3000 °C, and the diffusion intensifies rapidly with the further increase of temperature. By studying the evolution of the phase transition, we find that the dangling atoms with a coordination less than two play a critical role in initiating the diffusion of diamond, and subsequently more sp-bonded carbon phases are involved in promoting the diffusion process during the non-equilibrium period. Moreover, the diffusivity of carbon atoms in diamond is found to have a strong layer dependence, which can be attributed to the unique phase composition and activation energy for self-diffusion. Eventually, an effective activation energy for the interfacial diffusion from diamond to titanium of 543.9 kJ/mol is obtained. This study provides a new insight into the initiation mechanism of the interfacial diffusion of diamond materials.

Mechanism of increased strength and ductility of martensite-austenite composite steel with different thickness ratios

In this study, the mechanism of increased strength and ductility of a martensite-austenite composite steel with different thickness ratios was analysed. Results revealed that with increasing the thickness ratio between the martensite and austenite layers, the strength and uniform ductility of the composite steel initially increased and then decreased gradually. The best combination was obtained in a 2:1 specimen, with the strength and the uniform ductility being increased by 9% and 190% respectively, as compared with the monolithic martensitic steel. The slight diffusion of carbon atoms from the austenite layer into the martensite layer strengthened the steel, which offset the weakening effect of introducing the austenite layer. Moreover, the diffusion of heavy elements between the neighbouring layers, such as manganese and silicon, formed a transition layer with varying concentration which effectively coordinated the deformation behaviour of the neighbouring martensite and austenite layers.

Kinetics of Carbon Partitioning of Q&amp;P Steel: Considering the Morphology of Retained Austenite

The diffusion of carbon atoms from martensite to retained austenite (RA) is controlled by the carbon partitioning kinetics when the quenching and partitioning (Q&amp;P) process is conducted. The RA is divided into film-like and blocky ones in morphology. This research aims to study the influence of the morphology of RA on the kinetics of carbon partitioning mainly by developing a numerical simulation. A one-step Q&amp;P process was modeled at the partitioning temperature of 330–292 °C, with a partitioning time ranging from 10−6 to 5 × 103 s. The finite element method was employed to solve the carbon diffusion equation. A thermomechanical simulator Gleeble-3500 was used to conduct the corresponding Q&amp;P heat treatment, and the RA was examined by X-ray diffraction. The results show that the film-like RA will be enriched in carbon within a short time at first, followed by a decrease in carbon concentration due to the massive absorption of carbon by blocky RA, leading the stable film-like RA to become unstable again. The end of the kinetics of carbon partitioning was the concentration determined by the constrained carbon equilibrium (CCE) model, provided that the CCE condition was employed in this study. It took quite a long time (thousands of seconds) to complete the carbon partitioning globally, which was influenced by the partitioning temperature.

The “Expanded” Phases in the Low-Temperature Treated Stainless Steels: A Review

Low-temperature treatments have become a valuable method for improving the surface hardness of stainless steels, and thus their tribological properties, without impairing their corrosion resistance. By using treatment temperatures lower than those usually employed for nitriding or carburizing of low alloy steels or tool steels, it is possible to obtain a fairly fast (interstitial) diffusion of nitrogen and/or carbon atoms; on the contrary, the diffusion of substitutional atoms, as chromium atoms, has significantly slowed down, therefore the formation of chromium compounds is hindered, and corrosion resistance can be maintained. As a consequence, nitrogen and carbon atoms can be retained in solid solutions in an iron lattice well beyond their maximum solubility, and supersaturated solid solutions are produced. Depending on the iron lattice structure present in the stainless steel, the so-called “expanded austenite” or “S-phase”, “expanded ferrite”, and “expanded martensite” have been reported to be formed. This review summarizes the main studies on the characteristics and properties of these “expanded” phases and of the modified surface layers in which these phases form by using low-temperature treatments. A particular focus is on expanded martensite and expanded ferrite. Expanded austenite–S-phase is also discussed, with particular reference to the most recent studies.

Simulation research on nucleation mechanism of graphene deposition assisted by diamond grain boundary

The growth of high-quality graphene is always a focused issue in the field of two-dimensional materials, and the growth of graphene on brand new substrates has received considerable attention from scholars especially. The research on the nucleation mechanism of graphene deposited on a polycrystalline diamond substrate is of significance in the large-scale preparation of graphene in practice. Here in this work, the direct growth without transfer process of graphene on a diamond substrate is used to obtain the high-quality graphene. The reactive molecular dynamics simulation technology is adopted to imitate the process of graphene deposition and growth on bi-crystal diamond assisted by nickel catalyzed at an atomic level. The effect of the bi-crystal diamond grain boundary on the dynamic behavior of graphene nucleation and growth process is studied. The results demonstrate that the grain boundary carbon atoms can be used as a supplementary carbon source to diffuse into the nickel free surface and participate in the nucleation and growth of graphene. Furthermore, the effect of temperature on the diffusion behavior of carbon atoms is explored, finding that high temperature facilitates the dissociation of atoms in the grain boundary. When the deposition temperature equals 1700 K, it is most conducive to the diffusion of grain boundary carbon atoms in the nickel lattice, which effectively enhances the nucleation density of graphene. Besides, the effect of the deposition carbon source flow rate on the surface quality of graphene is explored, finding that the high-quality graphene surface can be obtained by adopting a lower carbon deposit rate of 1 ps&lt;sup&gt;–1&lt;/sup&gt; at 1700 K. In brief, the research results obtained not only provide an effective theoretical model and analysis of the mechanism for diamond grain boundary assisted graphene deposition and growth, but also reveal the regular pattern of influence of deposition temperature and deposition carbon source flow rate on the surface quality of synthesized graphene. The present study can lay a theoretical foundation for the fabrication and application of new functional graphene-polycrystalline diamond heterostructures in the fields of ultra-precision manufacturing and microelectronics.

A review on the development of electro-carburisation process

The purpose of this paper is to review the early development of electro-carburisation technology and the research findings related to the electro-carburisation process. In general, conventional liquid carburisation of steel using a molten cyanide bath is carried out to improve the performance of mild steel, however this process produces toxic cyanide waste. Thus, other alternatives for liquid carburisation are necessary. Electro-carburisation process using carbonate-base molten salt, under a CO2 environment was developed as one of the alternatives to liquid carburising. Metal to be treated is exposed to the carbon-rich liquid in the molten cyanide bath and electro-carburisation. However, the metal is simply immersed inside the cyanide bath during conventional liquid carburising, while connected to the cathode in the electro-carburisation. The electro-carburisation involves a diffusion of carbon atoms into the surface of the metal which enhance the surface hardness of the metal. The effects of electrolysis parameters to the surface hardness and case hardening of treated metal have been reported in several journals. This article summarises the research findings. Apart from that, the quenching process and heat treatment post quenching also plays an important role in the quality of the carburised metal, therefore also reviewed in this article.

Mechanism of diffusion promotion of carbon atoms during carburization of 20Cr2Ni4A alloy steel after lanthana-bearing supersonic fine particle bombarding pretreatment

Alloyed layer with gradient structure was prepared on the surface of 20Cr2Ni4A steel by lanthana-bearing supersonic fine particle bombarding (SFPB). Microstructure features of the surface layer were characterized. Subsequently, the samples were carburized in an ECM vacuum furnace. Based on the experimental observations, the mechanism of promoting the diffusion of carbon atoms by lanthana-bearing SFPB was proposed. It mainly involves the promotion of the structure obtained by lanthana-bearing SFPB on the adsorption and diffusion of carbon atoms during carburization. The promotion mechanism of the rare earth in the alloying layer on carbon atom diffusion was analyzed from the aspects of accelerating mechanism of carbon source decomposition by rare earth, subsurface diffusion channel mechanism and driving force. Experimental evidence and related mechanisms show that, the structure formed by the step of austenitization during carburization and the existence of rare earth are necessary to promote the diffusion of carbon atoms. Therefore, our research results clarify the promotion mechanism of lanthana-bearing SFPB treatment on the diffusion of carbon atoms in the carburizing process, and further useful to adjust the surface structure to promote the application of pretreatment technology in surface modification.

Promoting Role of Amorphous Carbon and Carbon Nanotubes Growth Modes of Methane Decomposition in One-Pot Catalytic Approach

We report the simultaneous production of hydrogen fuel and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via methane dehydrogenation catalyzed with Ni/SBA-15. Most Ni nanoparticles (NPs) with size between 10 and 30 nm were highly dispersed on SBA-15 and most of them had a strong interaction with the support. At temperatures ranging from 500 to 800 °C, methane could be decomposed to release hydrogen with 100% selectivity at conversion between 51 and 65%. There was no CO or CO2 detectable in the reaction fluent. In the initial stage of the reaction, amorphous carbon and dehydrogenated methane species adsorbed on the Ni NPs promoted the CH4 decomposition. The amorphous carbon atoms were then transformed into carbon nanotubes which chiefly consisted of a multiwall structure and grew towards different orientations via a tip-growth or a base-growth modes, controlled by the interaction strength between the Ni NPs and the SBA-15 support. Reaction temperature affected not only methane conversion, but also the diffusion of carbon atoms on/in the Ni NPs and their precipitation at the interfaces. At higher temperature, bamboo-like CNTs or onion-like metal-encapsulated carbons were formed, mainly due to the rate of carbon atom formation greater than that of carbon precipitation for CNTs construction. The CNTs formation mechanisms are discussed and their growth modes under different conditions are proposed.

Bioinert TiC ceramic coating prepared by laser cladding: Microstructures, wear resistance, and cytocompatibility of the coating

Recent advance in biological applications such as artificial joint replacement are focused towards fabricating reliable bearing surface to extend their service life. Given this perspective, incremental attempts have been made to enhance the wear resistance of titanium alloys used widely in artificial joint and mechanical reliability of brittle TiC ceramic, but plan often don't go along with reality. It is proposed that both high mechanical reliability and wear resistance can be hold if a thin TiC ceramic coating is formed onto high toughness Ti6Al4V alloy used widely in biological applications. In this paper, bioinert TiC ceramic coating was fabricated on Ti6Al4V substrate surfaces through laser cladding using preplaced TiC nanoceramic powders on the substrate surfaces. The microstructural characteristics of the TiC ceramic coating were investigated in detail. Further, the rapid melting mechanism of the TiC nanoparticles and the microstructural formation mechanism of the coating were revealed. Moreover, the wear mechanism and cytocompatibility of the coating were identified. The results showed that the original TiC nanoparticles completely melted and solidified to form dendritic TiC ceramic coating owing to the small size effect of the nanoparticles and the thermodynamic effect of the high-energy laser beam . The wear resistance of the TiC ceramic coating fabricated by laser cladding was three times higher than that of the Ti6Al4V substrate, and the coating had the same good cytocompatibility as that shown by Ti6Al4V. Microstructure-phase-property relationships in TiC ceramic coating were revealed and discussed according to our research findings. The designed TiC coating and Ti alloy hybrid might be potential application in artificial joint surfaces and other implants with strong wear-resistance requirements. • Bioinert TiC ceramic coatings on Ti6Al4V substrate was fabricated by laser cladding using preplaced TiC nanoparticles. • TiC dendrites were generated owing to the high-temperature diffusion of carbon atoms and Ostwald ripening mechanism. • The formation mechanism of ceramic coatings fabricated by laser cladding using TiC ceramic nano particles was proposed. • The coating showed comparable cytocompatibility to Ti alloy and did not affect cell adhesion, spreading, and proliferation.

Frank-van der Merwe growth in bilayer graphene

Frank-van der Merwe growth in bilayer graphene

WReTaMo Refractory High‐Entropy Alloy with High Strength at 1600 °C

Structural materials with higher melting temperatures and better mechanical properties than superalloys are in high demand in refractory applications. A promising WReTaMo refractory high‐entropy alloy (RHEA) with high strength at 1600 °C is fabricated by vacuum arc melting. The WReTaMo RHEA has a body‐centered cubic (BCC) structure with a maximal compressive strength of 1140 MPa and Vickers microhardness of 654 HV at room temperature. The alloy displays a strong resistance to high‐temperature softening, showing the high maximal compressive strength of 244 MPa at 1600 °C. The deformation of the WReTaMo RHEA compressed at 1600 °C maybe resulted from the grain boundary sliding, which leads to the propagation of the cracks along grain boundaries. Face‐centered cubic (FCC) phase forms at the surface region of samples annealed above 1800 °C due to the diffusion of carbon atoms by gas carburizing in the graphite crucible at such high temperatures. The increase in hardness at temperatures above 1600 °C results from the solid solution strengthening of dissolved carbon. The forming ability of the WReTaMo RHEA is also discussed. This work presents a promising high‐temperature structural material and fills the vacancy of the mechanical properties of Re‐containing RHEAs at 1600 °C.

Mechanism of M23C6 → M7C3 carbides reaction of Cr35Ni45Nb type alloy during carburization

The carbide transformation of Cr35Ni45Nb type alloy during service has been investigated in the present work. The primary carbide of the as-cast Cr35Ni45Nb type alloy is M7C3(M is mainly Cr element) and NbC, which transformed into M23C6 type carbides (M is mainly Cr element) and G phase(Ni16Nb6Si7) after service, respectively. The G phase and M23C6 carbides mix together and grow up with each other during service. After carburization, the crystal structure of M23C6 type carbide changes again and transforms into M7C3 type carbide. The mechanism of M23C6 → M7C3 carbide reaction is an in situ transformation; the M7C3 type carbide preferentially nucleates at the interface of M23C6/γ and grows toward the M23C6 type carbide interior. With the diffusion of free carbon atoms into the M23C6 type carbides, the M23C6 type carbides are gradually surrounded by the M7C3 type carbides until they are completely changed into M7C3 type carbides.

Effect of Hot Rolling on Microstructural Evolution and Wear Behaviors of G20CrNi2MoA Bearing Steel

Hot rolling can improve the mechanical properties after heat treatment by improving the microstructure. The effect of hot rolling (HR) deformation on the microstructural transformation of G20CrNi2MoA bearing steel in the subsequent CQT (carburizing-quenching and tempering) and RQT (reheating-quenching and tempering) processes was studied. The results indicate that the austenite grain size decreased by 20% after 45% hot rolling reduction, and the number of large-angle grain boundaries increased due to the recovery and recrystallization induced by hot deformation. The refinement effect of hot deformation on austenite grains was retained after dual austenitizing, and the large-angle grain boundaries and massive dislocation in the grains caused by hot deformation promoted the diffusion of carbon atoms during carburization, resulting in a higher surface carbon concentration. The refined grains and higher carbon concentration affected the volume fraction and size of undissolved carbides in RQT specimens. When the initial hot rolling reduction reached 45%, the average particle size of carbides decreased by 40%, and the area volume fraction increased by 37%. The Vickers hardness increased, but the friction coefficient and wear rate were significantly reduced with the increase in the initial hot rolling reduction. The main reasons for the improved wear resistance were fine grains, superior carbide distribution and high hardness.

Simple and rapid conversion of silicon carbide to nanodiamonds at ambient pressure

Nanodiamonds (NDs) were prepared under ambient pressure by sublimation decomposition of silicon carbide in an intermediate frequency furnace for only 8 min. The synthesis proceeded in the temperature range of 2600-2800 °C without any catalyst or highly active gas components (such as H 2 , alkane, and halogen). The conversion began at 2600 °C and produced NDs with particle sizes in the range of 1-5 nm with a uniform particle shape and excellent dispersion. The linear reaction kinetics allowed for rapid transformation to any depth with reasonable control of the temperature. The linear rate constant ( K l ) for the reaction at 2800 °C was 37.5 mm/h, which is 31.2 times that of the reaction at 2600 °C. The SiC sublimation decomposition produced carbon atoms that filled the SiC lattice vacancies or were combined with the suspended carbon chain bonds to form sp 3 carbon, while the diffusion of amorphous carbon atoms promoted nucleation and growth of diamond. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated that the NDs were separated from the SiC matrix by break-off due to propagation of the reaction front. This SiC sublimation decomposition method is considered simple, fast, environmentally friendly and promising for industrial-scale production.

Photolithographically-patterned C-MEMS graphene by carbon diffusion through nickel

In recent years the most studied carbon allotrope has been graphene, due to the outstanding properties that this two-dimensional material exhibits; however, it turns out to be a difficult material to produce, pattern, and transfer to a device substrate without contamination. Carbon microelectromechanical systems are a versatile technology used to create nano/micro carbon devices by pyrolyzing a patterned photoresist, making them highly attractive for industrial applications. Furthermore, recent works have reported that pyrolytic carbon material can be graphitized by the diffusion of carbon atoms through a transition metal layer. In this work we take advantage of the latter two methods in order to produce multilayer graphene by improving the molecular ordering of photolithographically-defined pyrolytic carbon microstructures, through the diffusion (annealing) of carbon atoms through nickel, and also to eliminate any further transfer process to a device substrate. The allotropic nature of the final carbon microstructures was inspected by Raman spectroscopy (Average I D/I G of 0.2348 ± 0.0314) and TEM clearly shows well-aligned lattice planes of 3.34 Å fringe separation. These results were compared to measurements made on pyrolytic carbon (Average I D/I G of 0.9848 ± 0.0235) to confirm that our method is capable of producing a patterned multilayer graphene material directly on a silicon substrate.

Reaction thickness between diamond and silicon under 5 GPa

The thickness of the silicon carbide layer around diamond grains in the reaction sintering process of diamond/SiC composites starting from diamond and silicon was investigated at 1100–1400 °C and 5 GPa using two different sample assemblies. Dense silicon carbide layers with thicknesses from 60 nm to 350 nm were observed using energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. This demonstrated that the thickness of the silicon carbide layer increased with increasing sintering temperature and time. The surface morphology of diamond grains/single-crystal diamond wafers eroded by liquid silicon was analysed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and it was found that SiC growth was controlled by the diffusion of silicon and carbon atoms through the existing layer of SiC.