Chemistry Project Abstract
GROWTH RATES OF CARBIDE DERIVED CARBON ON TI3SIC2
Presenter:
Joseph Phan, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 West Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL, 60506; jphan@imsa.edu
Mentors:
Mr. Allen Lee, University of Illinois at Chicago, 842 W. Taylor, Chicago, IL, 60607-7022; 312-413-7588; alee17@uic.edu
Dr. Mike McNallan, University of Illinois at Chicago, Engineering Research Facility M/C 246, 842 W. Taylor, Chicago, IL, 60607; 312-996-3430; mcnallan@uic.edu
Mr. Chris White, University of Illinois at Chicago, 842 W. Taylor, Chicago, IL, 60611
Abstract:
When a carbide like SiC is exposed to a halogen like Cl2 at high temperatures, SiCl4 results with the carbon left behind, since SiCl4 is more stable than SiC. The carbon product that is left that forms on the surface of the carbide is known as carbide derived carbon (CDC). The structure of CDC is related to the structure of the carbide that it formed from and is different from either graphite or diamond. Some research has been done on CDC on SiC, but not as much as on TiC or a new titanium silicon carbide, Ti3SiC2. I am measuring the growth rates for CDC on Ti3SiC2 in comparison to SiC and TiC. This study concentrates on the growth rates of titanium silicon carbide when treated in certain high temperatures and for different periods of time. If the titanium silicon carbide proves to have a faster growth rate than the others and still retains a reasonable coefficient of frictio, hardness, and other beneficial properties, it could have more useful applications and be more suitable for mass production than the other carbides.