TiO2 and [TiO2/β-SiC] microtubes prepared from an original process

Ceramic materials such as oxides and carbides with a controlled design were synthesized using an original pathway called reactive replica process. By this way, micrometric ceramic tubes keeping the morphology of the starting carbon source can be obtained. In our case, carbon fibres were coated by TiO2 or a [SiO2–TiO2] mixed oxide both prepared by a sol–gel process. The [carbon/oxide] material was then further heat-treated at temperatures higher than 1000 °C to form the corresponding interfacial carbide (TiC) or mixed carbide (TiC–SiC). During the carbothermal reaction, a complete conversion of the oxide into the carbide is observed. After removal of the unreacted carbon, TiO2 and [TiO2-β-SiC] microtubes are obtained. The formation of the carbides tubes has been followed by several multi-scale characterization techniques (XRD, IR, SEM) as discussed in this paper.