Silica (obtained by a sol–gel process) and sucrose were used as precursors of silicon and carbon, respectively, at a temperature of 700 C in controlled atmosphere (nitrogen) for the formation of the SiO2/C composite. This composite was used in a second step to obtain SiC
at a temperature of 1500 C, in argon atmosphere. The experimental setup used a Pyrex glass spherical vessel designed to work with concentrated solar power and controlled atmospheres. The structure and morphology of the solar obtained SiC were analyzed with FTIR, XRD, TGA/DSC, SEM and TEM techniques. Results show that it is feasible to use concentrated solar energy for the synthesis
of SiC. The solar SiC obtained is nanostructured and is mainly b-SiC.
2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.