In situ synthesis and interfacial bonding mechanism of SiC in MgO–SiC–C refractories

Adding SiC directly to MgO–C refractories possesses the disadvantages of low dispersion and interfacial bonding strength. Herein, the in situ synthesized SiC was introduced into the MgO–SiC–C refractories to maintain the original excellent performance of MgO–C refractories and reduce the carbon dissolution in molten steel. With the increase of Si and C content in raw materials, the morphology of SiC changed from whisker to network, whose growth mechanism was vapor–solid and vapor–liquid–solid. The network structure and uniform distribution of SiC improved the thermal shock resistance of MgO–SiC–C refractories. According to the analysis of molecular dynamics simulation by Materials Studio software, SiC strengthened the relationship between periclase and graphite to enhance the structure of the compound.