Silicon dioxide powder is a chemical compound formed from two of the earth’s most abundant ingredients, silicon (Si) and oxygen (O2). Silica is found in the sand between your toes, as well as in the soil, plants, animals, and even in your body.

The substance is used in many foods, supplements and cosmetics for its ability to keep various powdered ingredients from sticking together and clumping. It is also added to liquid ingredients in order to absorb moisture and improve flow qualities, thereby ensuring that the product flows smoothly through machinery.

A method for preparing silicon oxide powder includes mixing the raw material powder mixture containing a silicon dioxide powder with a reducing powder, heating and maintaining the mixture at a temperature within a range of 1,100 to 1,600deg C., and preferably 1,200 to 1,500deg C., for thereby generating a SiO gas which is then fed into a deposition chamber through a feed conduit to deposit a silicon oxide powder.

In operation, the mixture of silicon dioxide and reducing powder is heated in a muffle 11 that defines a reaction chamber therein to thereby generate a SiO gas which is then fed through a transfer conduit 30 into the deposition chamber for depositing a silicon oxide powder on a substrate 21. The resulting silicon oxide powder is then recovered and pulverized to a desired particle size in a suitable means such as a ball mill.

While this process is relatively simple, it can be troublesome if the raw material powder mixture is heated too low, or if the furnace atmosphere is not maintained to ensure that the reactivity of the mixture is maximized. Alternatively, the mixture may be heated in a vacuum although the atmosphere of the furnace should be such that it maintains an air reactivity sufficient to facilitate complete reduction.

tags: Semiconductors semiconductor industry