Silicon carbide is one of the hardest materials ever created, making it ideal for components designed to withstand corrosion, abrasion and erosion.
SiC is produced through reaction bonded processes in which powdered silicon and carbon are mixed with plasticizer, then formed into preforms before being burned off. Large single crystals can also be grown from vapour growth for advanced electronic applications.
Silicon Carbide
Silicon carbide, more commonly referred to by its chemical formula SiC, is an exceptionally hard synthetically produced crystalline compound of silicon and carbon. Silicon carbide has long been an indispensable material in abrasives used for grinding wheels and cutting tools since the late 19th century; today, however, its use has expanded beyond these traditional applications to refractory linings, furnace heating elements, wear-resistant parts for pumps and rocket engines as well as semiconductor substrates.
Silicon carbide’s wide bandgap semiconductor properties make it well suited for power electronics, where its high-efficiency devices can reduce voltage and current losses, enhance thermal efficiency, reduce size/weight of components such as motor drives/charging systems. Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers have taken notice of silicon carbide components being integrated into their latest offerings to deliver more efficient drivetrains, superior performance and extended battery range.
Silicon carbide wafer production innovations are making using silicon carbide more cost-effective for automakers, helping accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption while supporting global efforts to lower emissions and foster sustainable transportation solutions.
Washington Mills offers CARBOREX(r) silicon carbide grains and powders in various chemistries and sizes to meet the requirements of many industries. Get in touch with us now to explore all the possibilities for your applications!
Bulletproof Armor
Silicon carbide plates have become essential components of modern protective gear and armored vehicles due to their exceptional hardness, lightweight nature, multi-threat protection abilities and multi-threat protection capabilities. Not only are they highly durable against abrasions, chemicals, heat and corrosion – advancements in material science could soon make them even more multipurpose!
Scientists from Texas A&M University, Rutgers University and Johns Hopkins University have discovered that adding small amounts of silicon to boron carbide – the primary material used for body armor — significantly enhances its toughness and absorbency capabilities against bullets and fragments. Their findings were published in October’s Science Advances issue.
Scientists develop silicon carbide body armor by mixing pure silica sand and finely ground coke into a mixture, before heating it at high temperatures in a brick electrical resistance-type furnace until the materials fuse together to form a ceramic block with bulletproof properties.
Once produced, ceramic is then shaped using grinding, cutting and polishing techniques before being subject to rigorous testing protocols – such as firing different types of ammunition at different velocities – in order to assess its ballistic performance and ascertain if it meets National Institute of Justice (NIJ) standards for body armor certification. Once certified by the NIJ, soldiers on frontlines can use body armor that has been certified to protect them from deadly projectiles and shrapnel.
Semiconductor
Silicon carbide is an extremely robust semiconductor material, capable of operating at much higher voltages and frequencies than many other semiconductor materials due to its wide band-gap, which allows electrons to pass more freely between its valence bands and conduction bands, helping reduce switching losses and making silicon carbide an excellent choice for power semiconductors that must withstand high voltage environments.
Silicon Carbide is produced as a fine powder that can be sintered under heat with carbon to form very hard ceramics, such as those found in bulletproof vests, with increased durability requirements. Silicon Carbide can also be produced in large single crystal forms known as moissanite gemstones for gemstone use.
Elkem operates a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to processing silicon carbide for multiple applications. Under Elkem Processing Services’ (EPS) brand, this facility specializes in custom-mixed SiC products tailored specifically for power electronics devices, while producing 6-inch wafers of silicon carbide which is key for producing power semiconductors. Furthermore, Elkem’s team provides exceptional customer service, technical assistance and product development advice as part of making its customers successful by providing them with only top quality SiC for their applications.
Automotive
Silicon carbide, commonly referred to as Carborundum, is an advanced ceramic that behaves much like diamond. It ranks among the lightest, hardest, strongest materials with superior thermal conductivity and resistance to acids; erosion, abrasion and frictional wear resistance rival those found in steel, tungsten carbide or other hard metals; its low coefficient of thermal expansion and high Young’s modulus provide excellent dimensional stability that makes Silicon Carbide suitable for applications where physical wear plays a factor; suitable components include spray nozzles / shot blast nozzles as well as cyclone components where physical wear consideration is critical e.
Silicon carbide has recently made waves as an indispensable material in electric vehicle and other carbon-friendly energy systems. A recent Roland Berger study predicts significant demand growth as power electronics move to 800 V systems for improved efficiency, performance, compact vehicle designs and lightweight vehicle designs.
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the United States have turned increasingly towards silicon carbide chips for use in their electric vehicles, due to their higher temperature operating capabilities and reduced cooling requirements, leading to more efficient drivetrains with longer driving ranges for EVs.
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