Method and apparatus for the production of SiC whisker

Claim 1

A method of producing SiC whisker through vapor phase synthesis of silicon sulfide and carbon compound by using an apparatus for the production of SiC whisker being a combination of a vessel for the production of silicon sulfide gas provided with a gas distributing plate, an inlet for metallic silicon and an outlet for silicon sulfide gas located above the gas distributing plate, and inlets for hydrogen sulfide gas and a carrier gas beneath the gas distributing plate, and a vessel for the synthesis of SiC whisker communicated with a supply pipe for the supply of a nucleus forming material and the supply of a carbon compound and provided with an outlet for the discharge of a whisker, comprising successively charging metallic silicon into a temperature atmosphere range of 1000° to 1400° C., blowing hydrogen sulfide gas and carrier gas thereinto to produce a silicon sulfide gas, discharging the resulting silicon sulfide gas from the outlet and introducing it into said vessel for the synthesis of SiC whisker held at 1130° to 1500° C. together with the carrier gas and contacting said silicon sulfide gas with a carbon compound supplied from the supply pipe in the presence of a nucleus forming material provided by the supply pipe; said carbon compound being selected from paraffinic hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane; olefin hydrocarbons such as ethylene, propylene, butylene, amylene; acetylentic hydrocarbons such as acetylene, allylene, butylene; aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, naphthalene, antracene; alicyclic hydrocarbons such as cycloparaffin, cycloolefin, and said nucleus forming material being selected from the group consisting of metals selected from iron, nickel, titanium, manganese, cobalt, copper, vanadium, chromium, aluminum and silicon or their oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, halides, sulfates, nitrates and alcoholates, organometallic compounds represented by the formula M(C 2 H 5 ) 2 (wherein M is a metal selected from Fe, Ni, Ti, Mn, Co, Cu, V and CR) and a mixture thereof; wherein whiskers are grown at a floating state and then continuously or intermittently discharged from said outlet.

Claim 2

A method of producing SiC whisker through vapor phase synthesis of silicon sulfide and carbon compound by using an apparatus for the production of SiC whisker being a combination of a vessel for the production of silicon sulfide gas provided with a gas distributing plate, an inlet for metallic silicon and an outlet for silicon sulfide gas located above the gas distributing plate, and inlets for hydrogen sulfide gas and a carrier gas beneath the gas distributing plate, and a vessel for the synthesis of SiC whisker communicated with a supply pipe for the supply of a nucleus forming material and the supply of a carbon compound and provided with an outlet for the discharge of a whisker, comprising successively charging metallic silicon into a temperature atmosphere range of 1000° to 1400° C., blowing hydrogen sulfide gas and carrier gas thereinto to produce a silicon sulfide gas, discharging the resulting silicon sulfide gas from the outlet and introducing it into said vessel for the synthesis of SiC whisker held at 1130° to 1500° C. together with the carrier gas and contacting said silicon sulfide gas with a carbon compound supplied from the supply pipe in the presence of a nucleus forming material provided by the supply pipe; said carbon compound being selected from paraffinic hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane; olefin hydrocarbons such as ethylene, propylene, butylene, amylene; acetylentic hydrocarbons such as acetylene, allylene, butylene; aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, naphthalene, antracene; alicyclic hydrocarbons such as cycloparaffin, cycloolefin, and said nucleus forming material being selected from the group consisting of metals selected from iron, nickel, titanium, manganese, cobalt, copper, vanadium, chromium, aluminum and silicon or their oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, halides, sulfates, nitrates and alcoholates, organometallic compounds represented by the formula M(C 2 H 5 ) 2 (wherein M is a metal selected from Fe, Ni, Ti, Mn, Co, Cu, V and CR) and a mixture thereof; wherein whiskers are grown at a floating state and then continuously or intermittently discharged from said outlet.