Preparation and Characterization of SiC Fibers from PCS by Electrospinning, Curing and Calcination Process

• Published in: ChemistrySelect (Weinheim) 2021-11, Vol.6 (42), p.11630-11637
• Main Authors: Hu, Shao‐Hwa, Yuan, Jiao‐Jiao, Wu, Li‐Chun, Dai, Hang, Ai, Ya‐Zhao, Deng, Ying‐Feng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: calcination; electrospinning; SiC fibers
• ISSN: 2365-6549; 2365-6549
• DOI: 10.1002/slct.202102209

Silicon carbide (SiC) possesses unique properties and is widely applied in household and military uses. This study explored the manufacturing process of SiC fibers. In the experiment, polycarbosilane (PCS) was dissolved in a mixed solvent of C8H10 and dimethylformamide (DMF) to form a solution, and electrospinning was employed to synthesize PCS fibers. PCS fibers underwent a curing process and a 2 h calcination at 1200 °C in N2 atmosphere to convert PCS fibers into β‐SiC fibers. The solute recruitment, solvent mixing ratio, and voltage in the experiment were defined as process parameters through which to examine the influence each parameter had on electrospinning. The PCS fibers were discovered to exhibit the most even size under the following condition: PCS recruitment of 1.0 g/mL, DMF constituting 30 % of the solvent volume, voltage of 25 kV, spraying speed of 1.0 mL/h, and spinning distance of 15 cm. Under microscopy, the diameter of each PCS fiber was determined to be 1.0 μm, and the diameter of each β‐SiC fiber was 0.8 μm. This study conducted the experiment by heating PCS to 200 °C in a nitrogen flux and refining PCS at the constant temperature for 1 h to eliminate the low molecular weight polymer in PCS. Refined PCS was added into a mixed solvent of C8H10 and dimethylformamide (DMF) to form a solution. Next, the solution was subject to electrospinning, curing, and calcination. Controlling the parameters in each procedure facilitated identifying the process parameters for producing SiC fibers with minimal wire diameters and consistent appearance.