Influence of pyrolyzed temperature on the formation of silicon carbide fiber from polycarbosilane in electrospinning method

The synthesis of silicon carbide (SiC) fibers by electrospinning method was done using polycarbosylane (PCS) as precursor and dimethylformamide (DMF)/toluene as solvent. Knowing the heat treatment of fibers consist of curing and pyrolisis, there were two steps in the major reaction. The curing process is by heating in air to make an oxidative cross-linking of the PCS. The pyrolysis process causes chemical decomposition from organic to inorganic compounds. These composition changes were described through Fourier Transform Infrared FTIR, Thermagravimetric analysis (TGA), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The products of electrospinning and curing were characterized by FTIR and TGA. The conversion to ceramic of PCS under various pyrolysis temperatures (1200, 1300, 1400, 1500) °C has been investigated and the products of this process were characterized by FTIR and XRD. Elemental analysis of the fiber as received and after cured showed that the ratio of H and C to Si decreased with holding time at the cure-temperature while the amount of oxygen increased. Meanwhile, the pyrolyzed generally produced silicon oxycarbide SiC_xO_y. Crystalline SiC β-SiC was found at temperature 1500 °C.