I'm doing a project on spaceship insulation and it's physical (atomic structure/composition) properties. I need to relate how it's properties help insulate a spacecraft. I found that silicon carbide is the main component (of many), so I've decided to focus on that. I looked up silicon carbide and have found that it is considered a semiconductor, which makes absolutely no sense, because it is used as an insulator. Could anybody explain how a semiconductor can be used as insulation? I also found the atomic structure of silica carbide, which I believe is a tetrahedral arrangement. How would this help disperse the heat and insulate the spacecraft?
Btw, the silicon carbide is located in the tiles that line the fuselage and wings of the space craft. The silicon carbide is made into very thin fibers (like a spongy material that is about 10% fibers, 90% air) and coated in a very thin layer of borosilicate glass, but the silicon carbide does the main insulation. I was using scholar google and looking up patents and thesis papers on this stuff, but couldn't find anything. If you could give your source along with the answer it would be great. thank you SO much.
Btw, the silicon carbide is located in the tiles that line the fuselage and wings of the space craft. The silicon carbide is made into very thin fibers (like a spongy material that is about 10% fibers, 90% air) and coated in a very thin layer of borosilicate glass, but the silicon carbide does the main insulation. I was using scholar google and looking up patents and thesis papers on this stuff, but couldn't find anything. If you could give your source along with the answer it would be great. thank you SO much.
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What kind of insulation are you looking for?
A product may be an *electrical* semiconductor, but that wouldn't necessarily make it a bad thermal insulator or radiation insulator.
If you're referring to the shuttle tiles, for the most part those are silica, not silicon carbide. The tiles are manufactured in a way that entraps a lot of air. So they're about 90% air and 10% silica. Still air is very insulating.
The wings have portions of reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC), and the very top of that is silicon carbide. The silicon carbide is much more resistant to oxidation, so it is the part exposed to re-entry directly. It is very strong, but it is not primarily "insulation".
A product may be an *electrical* semiconductor, but that wouldn't necessarily make it a bad thermal insulator or radiation insulator.
If you're referring to the shuttle tiles, for the most part those are silica, not silicon carbide. The tiles are manufactured in a way that entraps a lot of air. So they're about 90% air and 10% silica. Still air is very insulating.
The wings have portions of reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC), and the very top of that is silicon carbide. The silicon carbide is much more resistant to oxidation, so it is the part exposed to re-entry directly. It is very strong, but it is not primarily "insulation".
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Are you asking about thermal or electrical insulation? One protects against heat, the other against electrical arcing.
For thermal, you might be thinking of aerogel -
http://www.aerogel.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogel
Or refractory tile used on the space shuttle -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shutt…
For electrical insulation, you have stuff like -
http://www.dowcorning.com/content/jtbd/j…
http://www.arlonstd.com/Products/tractio…
And if you really want to geek out -
http://books.google.com/books?id=zC9JWQ8…
For thermal, you might be thinking of aerogel -
http://www.aerogel.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogel
Or refractory tile used on the space shuttle -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shutt…
For electrical insulation, you have stuff like -
http://www.dowcorning.com/content/jtbd/j…
http://www.arlonstd.com/Products/tractio…
And if you really want to geek out -
http://books.google.com/books?id=zC9JWQ8…