Method of producing sinterable powders of silicon carbide and/or boron carbide

摘要

The invention is a process for the manufacture of sinterable silicon carbide and/or boron carbide powders having a maximum particle size of 1 mu m and finer. The process is carried out by wet grinding in aqueous suspension using mills charged with a grinding medium and with the addition of antioxidants in the presence of surfactants and subsequent wet chemical treatment with an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution. The wet grinding can be carried out, for example, with the addition of hydroquinone in the presence of quaternary ammonium salts and the wet chemical treatment with a 5-50% by weight aqueous potassium hydroxide solution under normal pressure at temperatures in the range of from room temperature to the boiling temperature of the reaction mixture or under elevated pressure at temperatures of up to 300 DEG C.