Current Affair 1:

News:

India's first silicon carbide manufacturing facility to be set up in Odisha at an investment of Rs 620 crore. This project is expected to contribute significantly to India's mission of becoming a self-reliant hub for semiconductor production.

About Silicon Carbide:

Silicon carbide is a compound made from silicon and carbon. The simplest silicon carbide manufacturing method involves melting silica sand and carbon, such as coal, at high temperatures―up to 2500 degrees Celsius.

SiC's advantage main advantages are:

1. High thermal conductivity of 120-270 W/mK
2. Low coefficient of thermal expansion of 4.0x10^-6/°C
3. High maximum current density

These three characteristics combined give SiC excellent electrical conductivity, especially when compared to silicon, SiC's more popular cousin.

SiC's material characteristics make it highly advantageous for high power applications where high current, high temperatures, and high thermal conductivity are required.

Uses:

Silicon carbide is used to manufacture bulletproof armor:

The property of this compound that makes it to be applied for such a purpose is its hardness. Bullets and other harmful objects will have to contend with the hard ceramic blocks that silicon carbide forms. Bullets can't penetrate the ceramic blocks.

Silicon Carbide Used in Semiconductors:

Silicon carbide becomes a semiconductor when dopants are added to it. Dopants like boron and aluminum added to silicon carbide make it become a p-type semiconductor. On the other hand, dopants such as nitrogen and phosphorus added to silicon carbide make it become an n-type semiconductor.

Silicon Carbide Used in Abrasives

Silicon carbide is commonly used as an abrasive because of how hard it is. It is used in the manufacture of grinding wheels, cutting tools, and sandpaper. Silicon carbide abrasives are usually cheaper than other abrasives of similar quality.

Silicon Carbide Used in Jewelry

Structurally similar to diamond, yet more lustrous, cheaper, more durable, and lighter than diamond, silicon carbide is a well-deserved alternative to diamond in the jewelry industry.

Silicon Carbide Used in Fuel

In addition to its other uses, silicon carbide is used as fuel. It is used as a fuel in steel manufacture and produces purer steel than most other fuels. It is also a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly fuel.

Silicon Carbide Used in LEDs

The first set of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to be produced made use of silicon carbide technology. It was used to manufacture blue, red, and yellow LEDs. LEDs are used in televisions, display boards, and computers.

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