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PHD
SETHULAKSHMY JAYAKUMARI
What are you researching?
In the silicon production process, black silicon crusts
have been found within the furnace. These crusts will
lower the process efficiency if present in large quanti-
ties. The crusts are also known as
α
-SiC, and I am look-
ing into how
α
-SiC is formed at high temperatures. In
the end, I will compare my results with already existing
theories within the field.
How are you preforming the research?
I will try to produce the
α
-SiC in a variation of ways, and
then compare the final results with what is found in in-
dustrial furnaces. Because the formation of
α
-SiC is a
high temperature phenomenon, I am working with very
high temperatures. For this work, I use furnaces such
as a plasma furnace, a resistance furnace (ReSiNa fur-
nace) and an induction furnace (IF75). A set of available
characterisation tools such as chemical analysis EMPA,
SEM, TEM and XDR, are used to study the SiC samples.
Elkem, and my supervisors Merete Tangstad and Eli
Ringdalen are also participating by giving me input along
the way.
What are you hoping to find?
I am hoping to achieve a better understanding of the re-
action mechanism of formation of
α
-SiC in the furnace.
If that is done, the industry will have a higher level of
knowledge that may lead to new operation strategies
and a more efficient process.
Tell us about an interesting result.
Recently, I carried out induction furnace experiments in
order to produce
β
-SiC (low temperature SiC) from coal
and charcoal. We are excited to use this
β
-SiC as the raw
material for the production of
α
-SiC in the future.
a.
Silicon carbide (
β
-SiC) which is soft and green in
color produced at 1850 °C from charcoal,
b.
SEM image of the
β
-SiC and
c.
EPMA image of the
β
-SiC (grey in color).
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