Abstract
We explore the stability of the ambient pressure zinc-blende polymorph (B3) structure of silicon carbide (SiC) at high pressures and temperatures where it transforms to the rocksalt (B1) structure. We find that the transition occurs ∼40 GPa lower than previously measured when heated to moderately high temperatures. A lower transition pressure is consistent with the transition pressures predicted in numerous ab initio computations. We find a large volume decrease across the transition of ∼17%, with the volume drop increasing at higher formation pressures, suggesting this transition is volume driven yielding a nearly pressure-independent Clapeyron slope. Such a dramatic density increase occurring at pressure is important to consider in applications where SiC is exposed to extreme conditions, such as in industrial applications or planetary interiors.
- Received 17 October 2016
- Revised 24 February 2017
- Corrected 17 November 2017
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.95.134108
©2017 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Corrections
17 November 2017