Hexagonal Plate‐like Ternary Carbide Particulates Synthesized by a Carbothermal Reduction Process: Processing Parameters and Synthesis Mechanism

Abstract

Aluminum‐containing ternary carbide, Al 4 SiC 4 , was successfully synthesized using a mixture of Al(OH) 3 , SiO 2 , and phenolic resin by a carbothermal reduction process without any posttreatment. In addition, the processing parameters were optimized in this study. Unlike the JCPDS pattern of Al 4 SiC 4 , the powder has a highly aligned structure along the c ‐axis, indicating a hexagonal plate‐like morphology. The growth rate of particulates was higher than the nucleation rate as the carbon content decreased. The crystallinity (formation yield) of Al 4 SiC 4 was much more dependent on the ratio of carbon to oxides than on the ratio of SiO 2 to Al(OH) 3 . Possible reaction mechanisms responsible for the synthesis of ternary carbide are discussed by considering reactions at the initial and later stages during the carbothermal reduction process.