Preparation of nanosized non-oxide powders using diatomaceous earth

In this paper the nanosized non-oxide powders were prepared by carbothermal reduction and subsequent nitridation of diatomaceous earth which is a waste product from coal exploitation. Our scope was to investigate the potential use of diatomaceous earth as a main precursor for low-cost nanosized non-oxide powder preparation as well as to solve an environmental problem. The influence of carbon materials (carbonized sucrose, carbon cryogel and carbon black) as a reducing agent on synthesis and properties of low-cost nanosized nonoxide powders was also studied. The powders were characterized by specific surface area, X-ray and SEM investigations. It was found that by using diatomaceous earth it is was possible to produce either a mixture of non-oxide powders (Si3N4/SiC) or pure SiC powders depending on temperature.