Miniaturization of micrometric SiC from a detonation process of highly energetic material

Submicron- and, in a low quantity nano-sized carbide particles were successfully prepared through a dynamic process of energetic material detonation. For that, a commercial micrometric SiC powder, homogeneously coated by a polymer layer, was dispersed in an energetic 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) matrix and then detonated. After detonation, the resulting carbide material was characterized by several techniques such as X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopies, and nitrogen adsorption. The results showed a decrease in the initial micrometric SiC size with particle sizes reaching, in some cases, less than 20 nm. The specific surface area was also considerably increased since an approximate value of 7.8 m2 g− 1 was obtained for a detonated SiC sample as opposed to 0.12 m2 g− 1 for the initial micrometric SiC powder.