Stacking faults in beta-SiC formed during carbothermal reduction of SiO2

Factors affecting stacking fault formation during the synthetic fabrication of beta-SiO2 were investigated in the present study, Two main reaction routes in the carbothermal reduction of SiO2--solid-solid and solid-gas reactions--led to the formation of beta-SiC, depending on the vapor pressure of the SiO gas, The beta-SiC formed by the solid-gas (carbon-SiO gas) reaction showed a whisker morphology with a high stacking fault density (SFD), whereas that formed by the solid-solid (Si-carbon) reaction exhibited spherical particles with a low SFD. The average size of the synthesized particles decreased with decreasing reaction temperature and time, and their stacking fault content, measured by X-ray diffraction, was higher than the true value, possibly because of a size effect, The stacking fault density increased with increase in the heating rate because of an increased reaction rate.