Synthesis of polycrystalline silicon carbide by a liquid-phase process

Silicon carbide is an important non-oxide ceramic: however, production meth ods have until now remained difficult and/or expensive. Ln this communicati on is reported the production of silicon carbide via thermal decomposition from the novel Si-carbodiimide polymer poly(methylsilasesquicarbodiimide), PSMC, which is prepared in a quantitative and economical solution reaction. A mechanism for the polymer-to-ceramic conversion is proposed. The possibi lity of fabricating continuous fibers of amorphous SIGN or polycrystalline SiC by gelling PSMC is suggested.