Synthesis of a minute SiC product from polyvinylsilane with radiation curing Part I Radiation curing of polyvinylsilane

Irradiation effect of γ-ray on polyvinylsilane (PVS), which is a liquid organosilicon polymer, was investigated and the optimum curing condition to synthesize a minute SiC product with radiation curing was discussed. Room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K) were examined as the irradiation temperature. In both cases, the cured PVS maintaining its formed shape could be obtained by γ-ray irradiation under vacuum, and the cured PVS in solid state at room temperature was obtained by irradiation with dose of above 3–4 MGy. It was found that the efficiency of crosslinking in case of the irradiation at room temperature is higher than that in case of irradiation at 77 K. The PVS injected into a mold was irradiated by γ-ray with dose of 3.6 MGy at room temperature under vacuum, and pyrolyzed at 1273 K in Ar gas atmosphere. As a result, minute SiC products which had similar shapes to the mold and the sizes of 30–60 μm were obtained.