A Novel Method for the Preparation of Porous SiC

Abstract

A novel method for preparing porous silicon carbide ceramics with high porosity had been developed by recrystallization of green bodies composed of α-SiC, β-SiC, remnant silicon and incompletely-reacted carbon. Fine microstructure and uniform pore structure of the resultant porous silicon carbide ceramics was obtained. The green bodies of porous ceramics were prepared by the precursor powder which contained α-SiC, carbon black and silicon powder. The precursor powder was sintered at 1600°C under Vacuum circumstance to obtain the green bodies; the sintering process is same with the reaction sintering silicon carbide. Then the green bodies were sintered to 2300°C for half an hour to recrystallization. The incompletely-reacted carbon was fully reacted with silicon. And the remnant silicon was excluded during the recrystallization process to create porous structures. The influence of composition of the precursor powder and the fabrication process (the moulding pressure) on the microstructure of sintering bodies was analyzed. X-ray diffractometry demonstrated the transformation of β-SiC to α-SiC during the recrystallization process. The density and the porosity of this material was 1.027g/cm3 and 67% respectively.