Optimising the yield of silicon carbide synthesised from indigenous biomass husk using different catalysts

Biomass husk is a cost effective source to produce silicon based ceramics. Present work deals with the catalytic synthesis of silicon carbide from biomass husk of
indigenous rice as raw materials. Rice husk samples were treated with different
concentrations of sodium silicate, 40 % hydrochloric acid and a mixture of 40 % HCl
and 2 gl-1 Na SiO . Treated husk were pyrolysed at 13500C in argon atmosphere and then 2 3
oxidised to eliminate unreacted carbon. Products were characterised by XRD, SEM and
EDS techniques in order to confirm the carbide formation, to identify carbide morphology
and to conduct elemental analysis respectively. Maximum yield was obtained in case of
catalytic treatment with 2 gl-1 Na SiO . Acid treatment, although showed no considerable 2 3
increase in yield, fostered whiskers formation instead of particles.