Low Temperature Catalytic Synthesis of SiC Powders from Phenolic Resin and Diatomite

beta-SiC powders were synthesized at 1400 degrees C for 3 h in Ar atmosphere via a catalytic reaction method using industrial diatomite powders and phenolic resin as raw materials, and nickel nitrate as a catalyst precursor. The effects of temperature, holding time and catalyst content on the formation of the SiC powders were investigated. XRD, SEM and TEM analyses were employed to characterize the phase composition and microstructure of the final products. The results indicate that the beta-SiC can be synthesized at 1400 degrees C for 3 h with 1.5 wt% Ni as catalysts. In contrast, for the sample without Ni catalysts, the yield of beta-SiC is only 17wt% in the final products under the identical condition. The as-prepared beta-SiC are granular in morphology, and the particle sizes are less than 100 nm.