Description

Silicon carbide, also known as carborundum, is a compound of silicon and carbon and occurs naturally as ultra rare moissanite. Silicon carbide powder has been mass-produced since 1893 for use as an abrasive. Grains of silicon carbide can be bonded together by sintering to form very hard ceramics widely used in applications requiring high endurance, like as car brakes or ceramic plates in bulletproof vests. Electronic applications of silicon carbide as light emitting diodes and detectors began over 100 years ago and continue today are widely used in high-temperature/high-voltage semiconductor electronics. Large single crystals of silicon carbide can be grown by the Lely method; they can be cut into gems known as “synthetic moissanite”.