This is why I say Great Minds Think Alike :)
I'm not sure on that too, many of my friends put as insoluble in
water, but since Carbon still has free hands, isn't it something
like Graphite?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_carbide
Hell, I think all the answers were correct except D, just need
to infer from diagram...
Silicon carbide exists in at least 70 crystalline forms. Alpha
silicon carbide (α-SiC) is the most commonly encountered polymorph; it is formed at
temperatures greater than 2000 °C and has a hexagonal crystal structure (similar to
Wurtzite). The beta modification (β-SiC), with
a zinc
blende crystal structure (similar to diamond), is formed at temperatures below 2000
°C and is shown in the structure at the top of the page. Until
recently, the beta form has had relatively few commercial uses,
although there is now increasing interest in its use as a support
for heterogeneous catalysts, owing to its higher surface area
compared to the alpha form.
Silicon carbide has a density of 3.2 g/cm³, and its high
sublimation temperature (approximately 2700 °C) makes it useful for
bearings and
furnace parts. Silicon carbide does not melt at any known pressure.
It is also highly inert chemically. There is currently much
interest in its use as a semiconductor
material in electronics, where its high thermal conductivity, high
electric field breakdown
strength and high maximum current density
make it more promising than silicon for high-powered
devices.[3] In addition, it
has strong coupling to microwave radiation, which together with its high
sublimation point, permits practical use in heating and casting
metals. SiC also has a very low coefficient
of thermal expansion (4.0 × 10-6/K) and experiences
no phase transitions that
would cause discontinuities in thermal expansion.
Pure SiC is colorless. The brown to black color of industrial
product results from iron impurities. The rainbow-like
lustre of the crystals is caused by a passivation layer of
silicon dioxide that forms
on the surface.