The Influence of Intensity of Argon Flow on the Rate of Mass Loss in Carbothermal Reduction of Quartzite to Silicon Carbide

J. Węgrzyn Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Materials Engineering and Metallurgy, Katowice, Poland The effect of argon flow intensity on mass loss rate in the carbothermic reduction of SiO2 to SiC was examined. The graphite and natural quartzite in a molar ratio of C/SiO2=3 were used. Samples were reduced for 6 hours at 1 500 °C. In the range of argon flow intensity from 0,1 to 3,4 dcm3/min, the high level of rate of mass loss of the sample and the 70 – 80 % of SiC formed in the residue of the sample were obtained.