Pechiney Electrometallurgie

Sylvain Hantzer

Jean-Louis Guille

Dominique Dubots

The invention is directed to a process for the production of fine grains of silicon carbide which are formed by an agglomerate of submicronic grains having a specific surface area that is at least 100 m.sup.2 .multidot.g.sup.-1, which are intended in particular to serve as a carrier for catalysts for petrochemistry, and for catalytic reactions at elevated temperature which can attain 1000.degree. C., the process comprising reacting vapors of silicon monoxide SiO on carbon, being characterized by: generating vapors of SiO in a first reaction zone by heating a mixture SiO.sub.2 +Si at a temperature of between 1100.degree. and 1400.degree. C., under a pressure of between 0.1 and 1.5 hPa; and, in a second reaction zone, contacting the SiO vapors with reactive carbon in the divided state with a specific surface area that is at least equal to 200 m.sup.2 .multidot.g.sup.-1 at a temperature of between 1100.degree. and 1400.degree. C. Preferably, the reactive carbon is doped by an addition of from 1 to 10% by weight of a metallic element selected from uranium, cerium, titanium, zirconium, hafnium and lanthanides.

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Strasbourg, France

Sylvain Hantzer