Patent ID: 7939044

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a silicon carbide powder with submicron size of powder particles comprising: preparing a homogeneous reactant mixture comprising at least a carbon source, silicon source, and an activated additive for initiating an exothermic self-propagating reaction in the aforementioned homogeneous reactant mixture when this mixture is locally preheated to a temperature sufficient to initiate the aforementioned exothermic self-propagating reaction; loading the homogeneous reactant mixture into a sealable reaction chamber; locally preheating the aforementioned homogeneous reactant mixture in a predetermined local volume thereof to the aforementioned temperature sufficient to initiate the aforementioned exothermic self-propagating reaction; and obtaining a silicon carbide powder with submicron size of powder particles by maintaining the exothermic reaction that propagates through the entire homogeneous reactant mixture in the atmosphere of an inert gas and under a predetermined pressure, wherein the aforementioned exothermic self-propagating reaction propagates heat through the homogeneous reactant mixture first due to a reaction between the activated additive and the source of silicon thus providing initial heat and then forming the silicon carbide powder with submicron size of powder particles due to a reaction between the source of silicon and carbon.