Kinetic studies of high-temperature carbon- silica reactions in charred silica-reinforced phenolic resins.

The kinetics of the highly endothermic reactions between carbon and silica were investigated quantitatively for four compressed powder silica-carbon systems and for one charred, silica-reinforced, phenolic resin system. Measurements were made in the temperature range 1300°-1600°C. The reaction kinetics data obtained with the charred, silica-reinforced, phenolic resin sample were very similar to the data obtained with samples made from mixtures of pure carbon and pure silica powders. Carbon monoxide gas was the only volatile, carbon-containing species identified in the experiments. Above 1400°C, a volatile, silicon containing reaction product was formed. The material balances suggested that silicon monoxide was produced at these temperatures. At the lower temperatures some silicon carbide was identified in the reaction products.