Silicon carbide

Silicon carbide
	Sample of silicon carbide as a boule A laboratory-grown synthetic SiC monocrystal
Names
	IUPAC name Methanidylidynesilanylium
	Preferred IUPAC name Silicon carbide
	Other names Carborundum ; Moissanite
Identifiers
CAS Number	409-21-2 ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChEBI	CHEBI:29390 ;
ChemSpider	9479 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.006.357
EC Number	206-991-8;
Gmelin Reference	13642
MeSH	Silicon+carbide
PubChem CID	9863;
RTECS number	VW0450000;
UNII	WXQ6E537EW ;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID5052751 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/CSi/c1-2 Key: HBMJWWWQQXIZIP-UHFFFAOYSA-N ; Key: HBMJWWWQQXIZIP-UHFFFAOYAF; InChI=1/CSi/c1-2;
	SMILES [C-]#[Si+];
Properties
Chemical formula	SiC
Molar mass	40.096 g·mol−1
Appearance	Yellow to green to bluish-black, iridescent crystals
Density	3.16 g⋅cm−3 (hex.)
Melting point	2,830 °C (5,130 °F; 3,100 K) (decomposes)
Solubility	Insoluble in water, soluble in molten alkalis and molten iron
Electron mobility	~900 cm2/(V⋅s) (all polytypes)
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	−12.8 × 10−6 cm3/mol
Refractive index (nD)	2.55 (infrared; all polytypes)
Hazards
	GHS labelling:fibres
Pictograms
Signal word	Danger
Hazard statements	H350i
Precautionary statements	P201, P202, P260, P264, P270, P271, P280, P281, P302+P352, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P308+P313, P312, P314, P321, P332+P313, P337+P313, P362, P403+P233, P405, P501 Preview warning: Omit Rules: keep P260, omit P261
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)	1 0 0
	NIOSH (US health exposure limits):
PEL (Permissible)	TWA 15 mg/m3 (total) TWA 5 mg/m3 (resp)
REL (Recommended)	TWA 10 mg/m3 (total) TWA 5 mg/m3 (resp)
IDLH (Immediate danger)	N.D.
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). verify (what is ?) Infobox references

Silicon carbide (SiC), also known as carborundum (/ˌkɑːrbəˈrʌndəm/), is a hard chemical compound of silicon and carbon. A wide bandgap semiconductor, it occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite, but has been mass-produced as powder and crystals since 1893 for use as an abrasive. Grains of silicon carbide can be bonded together by sintering to form very hard ceramics that are widely used in applications requiring high endurance, such as disc brakes, clutches and ballistic plates in bulletproof vests. Large single crystals of silicon carbide can be grown by the Lely method and they can be cut into synthetic moissanite gemstones.

Electronic applications of silicon carbide such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and detectors in early radios were first demonstrated around 1907. Silicon carbide is used in semiconductor electronic devices that operate at high temperatures, high voltages or both.