Synthesis of Ultrafine Silicon Carbide Powders in Thermal Arc Plasmas

Ultrafine ß-SiC powders are synthesized in thermal plasmas by a reaction between methane and silicon monoxide. The reaction is carried out in an unconfined plasma jet (22.5 kW) operating at atmospheric Ar pressure. High temperatures (> 10 000 K) combined with ultrarapid quench rates (¿ 106 K/s) of the plasma lead to a high degree of supersaturation of the chemical vapor, resulting in homogeneous nucleation of ultrafine particles. Product characterizations are pursued with X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. The maximum SiC yield determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is 97.3 percent. Particle size analyses show a bimodal distribution with the majority of the particles falling in a size range from 2 to 40 nm. Triangular and hexagonal SiC particles are observed throughout this work and the nucleation and growth of these particles are discussed.