Electrically conductive composite material based on silicon carbide

The article presents the results of the study aimed at establishing the main process parameters of the preparation of an electrically conductive composite material containing silicon carbide, graphite, aluminous cement and sodium silicate. This composite material can be used as a heating element in heat accumulators for the operating temperature range of 600–10000C. The effects of the amount of sodium silicate within the range of 12–18 wt.% and the compacting pressure within the range of 40-70 N / mm2 on the changes in the properties of the samples after drying were investigated. It was established that the mechanical strength of the samples of 34.2 N mm–2 and 33.4 N mm–2 can be achieved at the compacting pressure of 60 N mm–2 and 50 N mm–2 and the sodium silicate content of 14 wt.% and 16 wt.%, respectively. It was shown that a porous microstructure of the composite is formed in the course of samples annealing at the temperatures of 600–10000C due to physicochemical processes of transformations of sodium silicate and its interaction with aluminous cement; this porous microstructure is characterized by open porosity in the range of 23.14–25.11% and mechanical strength in the range of 33.2–32.0 N mm–2. The fabricated composite material after its annealing at 10000C shows a low electrical resistivity of 0.06710–2–0.01410–2 Ohmm at the electric current of 28–94 A and the voltage of 19.2–13.2 V.