Determination of crystalline silica in silica fume

Silica fume is formed as a by-product in the manufacture of silicon from quartzite. This paper describes an analytical method for the determination of crystalline silica in silica fume. The crystalline silica was determined after removal of amorphous silica from the fume. A gravimetric method was developed for the determination of the total crystalline silica in the fume, while the cascade impactor technique was used to determine the crystalline content in the -10 microm fraction. X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and particle size distributions were used to validate the steps in the analytical procedure. The total crystalline silica content was found to vary from 2.7 to 8.6% with an RSD of +/-2%, while the crystalline silica content of the -10 microm fraction was 0.23 to 0.55% with an RSD of +/-10%. A knowledge of the crystalline silica content of silica fume is of great importance in the area of Occupational Health and Safety. The samples surveyed were shown to have levels of crystalline silica in the respirable fraction well within the draft guidelines for silica fume. It is proposed that this method be accepted as a standard method for the determination of crystalline silica in silica fume.     

Quantitative determination of silicon in silica dust by FT-Raman spectroscopy

Silicon was quantitatively determined in respirable silica dusts and silica fume by FT-Raman spectroscopy using barium sulfate as an internal standard. Barium sulfate was selected as the standard as its Raman spectrum does not overlap with that of silicon and its scattering cross-section is significantly lower. This allowed silicon admixed with barium sulfate in ratios as low as 0.00003 to be detected. The laser beam was defocussed to cover the sample area. 128 scans at 4 cm(-1) resolution with 600 mW of power at the sample achieved a detection limit of 0.1 mug of silicon in a 5 mg sample. Silicon to BaSO(4) ratios in the range 0.00003-0.06 showed a near linear response with any decade change being linear. The RSD for this analytical method was +/-2%. Silica fume and respirable silica dust showed silicon concentrations to be in the range 2.6-51.5 ppm and 0.05-0.7 mg m(-3) respectively.     

等离子体发射光谱法测定碳化硅中的游离总硅含量

针对分光光度法测定游离总硅含量受干扰因素多、测试数据不稳定的缺点,探讨了采用ICP-AES法测定碳化硅中游离总硅含量。采用行星球磨仪对碳化硅样品进行研磨,以硝酸钠、硝酸、氢氟酸作溶剂,采用微波消解法处理样品。选择212．412nm特征谱线并以其强度U）与对应的硅浓度（c）建立校准曲线,硅的质量浓度在10-100μg／mL范围内与特征谱线强度呈良好的线性关系,线性方程为I=233．76c＋86．94,线性相关系数间．997,检出限为0．027μg／mL。测定结果的相对标准偏差为1．35％～2．79%（n=6）。加标回收率为97．6％～108．0％。该法测定碳化硅中游离总硅含量是可行的。     

高频红外碳硫分析仪测定含碳化硅耐火材料中碳化硅含量

采用对试样进行灼烧预处理的方法,除去游离碳,用锡粒、纯铁、钨粒作为助熔剂,并以钢铁标准样品校正仪器,高频燃烧红外吸收法测定含碳化硅耐火材料中的碳化硅含量,测定结果的相对标准偏差为1.07%(n=6),该法与化学法的测定结果较接近,精密度和准确度均满足化学分析的要求。     

Synthesis of Silicon Carbide Fibers by Sol-Gel Processing

Silica-phenolic resin hybrid fibers with carbon-to-silicon atomic ratios of 2.6 to 5.4 have been prepared from ethanol solutions of tetraethoxysilane, phenolic resins, water, and hydrochloric acid with a tetraethoxysilane-H₂O−HCl molar ratio of 1:2:0.01 by sol-gel processing. The hybrid fibers have been heated at 1500°C in Ar for carbothermal reduction to convert them into silicon carbide fibers. The effects of the holding time at 1500°C and the carbon-to-silicon atomic ratio of the hybrid fibers on the free carbon content in the silicon carbide fibers have been investigated. It has been found that the conversion is complete by the heat-treatment for more than 2 h. The silicon carbide fibers with a free carbon content of ca. 2 wt% have been obtained from the hybrid fibers with the ratios of 2.6 to 4.3.     

The morphology of ceramic phases in BxC-SiC-Si infiltrated composites

The present communication is concerned with the effect of the carbon source on the morphology of reaction bonded boron carbide (B₄C). Molten silicon reacts strongly and rapidly with free carbon to form large, faceted, regular polygon-shaped SiC particles, usually embedded in residual silicon pools. In the absence of free carbon, the formation of SiC relies on carbon that originates from within the boron carbide particles. Examination of the reaction bonded boron carbide revealed a core-rim microstructure consisting of boron carbide particles surrounded by secondary boron carbide containing some dissolved silicon. This microstructure is generated as the outcome of a dissolution-precipitation process. In the course of the infiltration process molten Si dissolves some boron carbide until its saturation with B and C. Subsequently, precipitation of secondary boron carbide enriched with boron and silicon takes place. In parallel, elongated, strongly twinned, faceted SiC particles are generated by rapid growth along preferred crystallographic directions. This sequence of events is supported by X-ray diffraction and microcompositional analysis and well accounted for by the thermodynamic analysis of the ternary B-C-Si system.     

Early-Age Hydration Reaction and Strength Formation Mechanism of Solid Waste Silica Fume Modified Concrete

Solid waste silica fume was used to replace fly ash by different ratios to study the early-age hydration reaction and strength formation mechanism of concrete. The change pattern of moisture content in different phases and micro morphological characteristics of concrete at early age were analyzed by low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the compressive strength of concrete was enhanced optimally when the replacement ratio of solid waste silica fume was 50%. The results of LF-NMR analysis showed that the water content of modified concrete increased with the increase of solid waste silica fume content. The compressive strength of concrete grew faster within the curing age of 7 d, which means the hydration process of concrete was also faster. The micro morphological characteristics obtained by SEM revealed that the concrete was densest internally when 50% fly ash was replaced by the solid waste silica fume, which was better than the other contents.     

Structural investigations on pyrolysed polycarbosilanes

The combination of combustion analysis, IR-spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy yields information about the chemical state of carbon in polycarbosilanes or silicon carbide. A stable polycarbosilane can be found where carbon is bonded in a network of silicon, carbon and hydrogen. In the temperature range between 700 and 800°C, the polycarbosilane is transformed into an amorphous silicon carbide with a small excess of carbon. During the crystallisation of the amorphous silicon carbide, which takes place at temperatures above 1100°C, glassy carbon is found by Raman-spectroscopy and combustion analysis. Finally after pyrolysis temperatures above 1500°C only silicon carbide exists; this may be caused by the reaction of free carbon with oxygen impurities in the samples.     

硅钙合金中非合金相态硅的分析

硅钙合金是一种炼钢脱氧剂,其中若存在游离硅、二氧化硅杂质会影响炼钢脱氧效果,目前国家标准无硅钙合金中游离硅分析方法。研究了氢氧化钠溶液提取非合金相硅的条件,用硅钼蓝光度法分析硅含量,分析方法回收率达95.9%,可用于硅钙合金中非合金相硅测定。     

Analysis of monomeric alkyl- and arylchlorosilanes

The radioisotope carbon-14 was used to study the retention of carbon in the decomposition of alkyl- and arylchlorosilanes by wet methods. Losses by sample volatilisation were overcome by preliminary cooling in dry ice. Fuming sulphuric acid alone or in mixtures with fuming nitric acid was found to be the most effective oxidant of the acids tested. Examination of the carbon-containing silica residues by X-ray powder photography indicated that amorphous carbon was present but there was no evidence of silicon carbide.     

Comparison of sample preparation methods for determination of free carbon in boron carbide by X-ray powder diffraction

Several sample preparation methods were evaluated for determination of free carbon in boron carbide powders by quantitative X-ray diffraction method, including ultrasonication, wet ball milling and dry ball milling–wet mixing. Quantitation was based on measuring the integral peak area ratio of the diffraction lines of graphite (002) to boron carbide (012) in samples spiked with pure graphite. The dry milling–wet mixing method provided the best precision and accuracy in all the measurements as well as in determination of free carbon in a boron carbide reference material. There was a linear relationship between the integral peak area ratios and graphite added to boron carbide samples which were purified from their free carbon content. The method provided a low detection limit of 0.05 wt% free carbon.     

硅源对MCM-22分子筛合成及物化性质的影响

在动态水热条件下,研究了硅溶胶、白炭黑、硅酸及硅胶为硅源时对MCM-22分子筛合成及物化性质的影响。以硅溶胶、白炭黑、硅酸三种硅源均可合成出高结晶度且无杂晶的片状MCM-22分子筛,其平均粒径分别为190、220和750 nm。硅源影响分子筛的聚集形态,三种硅源分别形成晶粒分散、晶粒半分散及晶粒聚集形态。三组样品的酸强度分布基本一致,都具有较多的中强酸分布,由硅溶胶和硅酸所得MCM-22分子筛在中强酸范围具有更高的B/L酸比值,以白炭黑合成的分子筛总酸量最高。NMR结果表明,样品中的铝以骨架铝为主,不存在明显的非骨架铝。由于硅胶对合成体系中游离水的吸附作用,水热反应难以发生,不能得到MCM-22分子筛,硅胶作为分子筛合成硅源时需要选择合适的反应条件。     

Surface oxidation of high-surface-area silicon carbide: FT-IR studies

The surface of ultrafine silicon carbide powders, prepared by a laser-driven gas-phase reaction was studied as a self-supporting disk by FT infrared spectrometry. After evacuation silicon and carbon atoms located at the surface give rise tovSiH andvCH bands. When heating in oxygen, subtraction spectra showed features which could be strictly correlated with a progressive growth of a silica layer: SiH and CH bands were replaced by new bands characteristic of amorphous silica and the typical band of surface silanol groups on silica (3745 cm^–1) simultaneously increased.     

Thermal stability of high surface area silicon carbide materials

The synthesis of mesoporous silicon carbide by chemical vapor infiltration of dimethyl dichlorosilane into mesoporous silica SBA-15 and subsequent dissolution of the silica matrix with HF was investigated. The influence of the synthesis parameters of the composite material (SiC/SBA-15) on the final product (mesoporous SiC) was determined. Depending on the preparation conditions, materials with specific surface areas from 410 to 830 m² g⁻¹ and pore sizes between 2 and 10 nm with high mesopore volume (0.31-0.96 cm³ g⁻¹) were prepared. Additionally, the thermal stability of mesoporous silicon carbide at 1573 K in an inert atmosphere (argon) was investigated, and compared to that of SBA-15 and ordered mesoporous carbon (CMK-1). Mesoporous SiC has a much higher thermal textural stability as compared to SBA-15, but a lower stability than ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-1.     

Evaporation of carbon atoms from the open surface of silicon carbide and through graphene cells: Semiempirical quantum-chemical modeling

The evaporation of silicon atoms during the epitaxial growth of graphene on the singular carbon and silicon faces of silicon carbide SiC was modeled by the semiempirical AM1 and PM3 methods. The analysis was performed for evaporation of atoms both from the open surface of SiC and through the surface of the formed graphene monolayers. The total activation barrier of the evaporation of the silicon atoms, their passage from the graphene cell, and further evaporation from graphene was shown to be lower than the barrier to evaporation of the silicon atom on a free surface of SiC. Passage through graphene is thus not the limiting stage of the process, but contributes significantly to the effective evaporation time.     

Silicon oxycarbide glasses from gels

Silicon-oxycarbide glasses can be synthesized from modified silica gels through a pyrolysis process in inert atmosphere. A critical analysis of the literature suggests a close relationship between oxygen content in the gel precursors and the amount of carbon atoms covalently bonded to silicon atoms in the corresponding silicon-oxycarbide phase. The problem of the formation of a free carbon phase will be discussed and related to the amount of carbon in the starting gel. An example of successful synthesis of an almost pure carbon-rich oxycarbide phase will also be presented.     

碱熔-电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法（ICP-OES）测定高碳高硅钢中的硅含量

研究了过氧化钠碱熔-ICP-OES法测定高碳高硅钢样品中的硅含量分析方法。样品经过氧化钠熔融和盐酸浸取后,选择了合适的分析谱线,以信号的稳定性为原则,优化了仪器最佳测定参数,实现了电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法对高碳高硅钢中硅含量的测定。通过实验探讨了钠离子、钢中基体元素铁等对硅含量测定干扰情况,测定结果的相对标准偏差不大于2%(n=6)。     

Analysis of silica fume produced by zircon desilication

Novel chemical methods have been developed to allow for the determination of the components of silica fume produced by zircon desilication. Hitherto, no methods have been described for the analysis of this material. The amorphous silica is first removed by treatment with sodium hydroxide. The residue from the hydroxide treatment may then be subjected to a suite of reagents to determine the zircon, the total zirconia, the monoclinic zirconia and the tetragonal zirconia content of the fume. The zircon content of the fume is determined by treatment of the hydroxide residue with concentrated hydrofluoric acid (HF). The total zirconia content of the fume is determined by digestion of the hydroxide residue with fuming sulphuric acid (oleum), while the relative amounts of monoclinic and tetragonal zirconia may be found by treatment of the hydroxide residue with 10%w/v HF, which attacks the less stable tetragonal phase. Both X-ray diffraction and particle size analysis were used to validate the steps in the analytical procedure. An explanation of the presence of tetragonal zirconia in the fume is proposed. A greater understanding of the composition of the fume led to the installation of a separator in the company's production line to remove the zircon. Australian Fused Materials (AFM) now produces a vastly superior grade of fume marketed under the code SF-98.     

Raman spectroscopy of C-, BN-, SiC-layers deposited on multifilament substrates

The analytic characterisation of various layers and layer systems on fibrous materials are presented. The layers, deposited by an isothermal CVD process, consisting mainly of pyrolytic carbon, hexagonal boron nitride and silicon carbide were characterised by different analytical methods, especially by Raman spectroscopy [1]. The surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used first time for the investigation of boron nitride (BN) coatings on fibres.     

Effect of vinyltriethoxysilane addition on the pyrolytic conversion of tetraethoxysilane based silica gel

The effect of vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) addition on the pyrolytic conversion of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) based silica gel had been studied. Thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectroscopy was carried out to study the thermal decomposition behavior of precursor gels. The ceramic yield of precursor gels was decreased with the increase of the VTES content. ²⁹Si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance indicated that the incorporation of VTES into TEOS not only changed the composition and structure of precursor gels, but also increased carbon-enriched SiO _x C_4?x units of silicon oxycarbide ceramics during the pyrolysis conversion. The carbon content of SiOC ceramic was almost unchanged between 1,000 and 1,500 °C. However, the O/Si ratio of the silicon oxycarbide ceramic was reduced and the free carbon content was increased with the increasing molar ratios of VTES/TEOS. Moreover, the carbothermal reduction reaction led to the free carbon content decreased with the increase of the sintering temperature.