Effect of Different SiO2 Polymorphs on the Reaction Between SiO2 and SiC in Si Production

This work investigates the phase transformations in silica (SiO2) during heating to a target temperature between 1700 °C and 1900 °C and the effect of SiO2 polymorphs on the reduction reaction 2SiO2 + SiC = 3SiO + CO in silicon production. Different heating rates up to target temperature have been used to achieve the different compositions of quartz, amorphous silica and cristobalite. The different heating rates had a minor effect on the final composition, and longer time at temperatures > 1400 °C were necessary to achieve greater variations in the final composition. Heating above the melting temperature gave more amorphous silica and less cristobalite, as amorphous silica also may form from β-cristobalite. Isothermal furnace experiments were conducted to study the extent of the reduction reaction. This study did not find any significant difference in the effects of quartz, amorphous silica or cristobalite. Increased temperature from 1700 °C to 1900 °C increased the reaction rate.

The mechanism of disordered graphite formation in uph diamond-bearing complexes

Kyanite gneiss from the "New Barchinsky" locality (Kokchetav Massif) was studied in detail. This rock is characterized by zonal distribution of the C and SiO2 polymorphs in kyanite porphyroblasts: (1) porphyroblast cores with graphite and quartz inclusions; (2) clean overgrowth zone with inclusions of cuboctahedral diamond crystals. The Raman mapping of SiO2 polymorphs originally showed the presence of an association of disordered graphite + coesite “prohibited” in HT diamond-bearing rocks. Graphitization of diamond is the only likely mechanism of the disordered graphite formation in HT diamond-bearing rocks. However, the absence of disordered graphite in association with diamond in kyanite porphyroblasts from kyanite gneiss from the "New Barchinsky" locality eliminates the process of diamond graphitization at the retrograde stage. Most likely, crystallization of disordered graphite occurred at the retrograde stage from the UHP C-O-H fluid.

Phase transitions and their effects on the thermal diffusivity behaviour of some SiO2 polymorphs

Thermal diffusivity is a material physical property important in all problems involving non-steady state heat transfer calculations, being a decisive parameter in the response of materials subjected to thermal shock. In this work it is presented a fundamental study related to how the phase transitions may influence the thermal diffusivity behaviour as a function of temperature in the phase transforming SiO2. The experimental technique employed was the flash thermal diffusivity technique, and measurements were carried out from 100 ºC up to approximately 1200 ºC. It was found a strong dependence on the thermal diffusivity with the high and low temperature forms of the quartz and cristobalite phases.