Preparation of SiC and Si3N4 whiskers using bean-curd refuse as the Si source

β-SiC and α-Si3N4 whiskers were obtained from bean-curd refuse, the Si source material, at 1200–1400 °C. The addition of CCl4 accelerated the growth of the SiC whiskers significantly; a whisker length of 1–4 mm and a thickness of 0.2−5 μm (av. 1 μm) were obtained at 1300 °C after 2 h. Many SiC whiskers with periodic thick and thin diameters were obtained along with whiskers with uniform thickness.