LAUSR

ABSTRACT Natural wood is a ready-to-use template for making porous silicon carbide (SiC) body. Biomorphic β-SiC was synthesised from wood of a mango (Mangifera Indica) tree. Carbon template was made by carbonising this wood at 1000°C in argon gas atmosphere. Thus formed template was repeatedly infiltrated with a mixture of tetraethyl-orthosilicate (TEOS) (in alcohol) and oxalic acid solution (aqueous). Heat treatment at 1600°C for 1 h in vacuum converted the infiltrated template to β-SiC with a complex hierarchical cellular structure- a mimic of the plant structure. To produce phase pure SiC, unreacted carbon (C) and silica (SiO2) (if any) were removed by burning in air followed by treating with hydrofluoric acid. Mono dispersed SiC powder having particle size of ∼225 nm has been obtained by crushing, grinding and milling of thus formed biomorphic SiC body. A grinding limit is reported for the first time in SiC system.