Spark plasma sintering of SiC-based bulk materials from carbonaceous residue of rice husk thermal processing

Abstract

Relevance. The search for a useful application of carbonaceous residues of rice husks thermal processing. These residues due to high silicon content in the inorganic part can potentially be used to produce silicon carbide – an important functional material for various fields of science and technology. Useful utilization of this waste will allow not only solving the environmental problem associated with their inefficient application and formal disposal, but also obtaining value-added products in the form of SiC-based ceramics. Aim. To obtain SiC-based bulk products from carbonaceous residues of rice husk thermal processing by spark plasma sintering with a minimum number of additional stages of feedstock processing. Objects. SiC-based bulk products obtained using carbonaceous residues of rice husk thermal processing. The samples were obtained by spark plasma sintering at 1800 °C, pressure of 60 MPa and holding time of 10 minutes. Methods. Spark plasma sintering; X-ray diffractometry (X-ray phase analysis); scanning electron microscopy; vacuumless arc discharge synthesis method. Results. The authors have carried out the experimental studies to assess the possibility of applying carbonaceous residue of rice husk thermal processing as a precursor for the synthesis of silicon carbide in bulk (ceramics) and dispersed (powder) forms. A series of experiments on spark plasma sintering of carbonaceous residue from rice husk thermal processing in the initial and milled form, with SiO2 silica sand additives, as well as with the use of silicon carbide powders synthesized from carbonaceous residue by vacuumless arc discharge method were implemented. The latter is performed within a one-stage fast-flowing process in an air environment and does not require the use of a vacuum system. Preliminary results demonstrated the possibility of obtaining bulk products and dispersed powders based on silicon carbide with a content of at least 50 and 60 wt %, respectively, and indicate the prospects of further increasing phase purity by optimizing spark plasma sintering and vacuumless arc discharge synthesis.