Nanorods of silicon carbide were found to be produced directly from silicon carbide powder when subjected to high temperature heat treatment. The powder with 20-50 mu m grain size was kept in a graphite crucible (enclosed in a chamber/furnace) and heated from its bottom at 2700 A degrees C for 15 min by employing a typical configuration of arc plasma (Ar). The heating was then followed by chamber cooling (up to room temperature) for 2 h. Silicon carbide nanorods of 10-120 nm diameter and 5-20 mu m length grew within the powder when the graphite crucible was kept 90% closed at its top end during the heat treatment. The heat treated powder and nanorods were evaluated by XRD, SEM, AFM, HRTEM and micro Raman spectroscopy. A catalyst (Fe) driven two stage VLS mechanism is proposed to understand the growth of the nanorods.
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