Abstract: A method of manufacturing silicon carbide whiskers in which silicon and carbon containing feedstock is placed on a series of gas permeable supports and passed through a reaction zone. The feedstock is maintained at 1500.degree. C. to 1700.degree. C. between forty to eighty minutes while the off gases from other reacting feedstock is permitted to pass from one support to another. In this manner uniformity of environment is maintained to produce high quality silicon carbide whiskers having average diameters by mass between 1 and 1.5 microns.

Abstract: A mounting assembly 4 is provided for a feed tube 12 of a high-temperature fluid-wall reactor of the type having a vertically oriented reactor tube heated to incandescence for emitting radiation radially inward to a reaction zone. The mounting assembly 4 comprises a tube support 34 having an opening 42 through which the feed tube 12 can pass, and a pivot seat member 30 secured to the reactor. The assembly 4 further comprises a retainer 52 for selectively fixing the orientation of the feed tube relative to the reactor, and a releasable attachment mechanism 70 for allowing the axial position of the feed tube to be adjusted relative to the assembly 4. According to the method of the invention, undesirable conditions within the reactor are detected, and the orientation of the feed tube is pivotably adjusted in response thereto for reducing undesirable reactor operating conditions.

Abstract: A reactor tube 20 for a high-temperature fluid wall reactor has a generally cylindrical shape and is made of a refractory material which permits the tube to be heated to incandescence. The reactor tube in turn radiates energy inwardly to a reaction zone to sustain the desired high-temperature reaction. At least a length of the tube 20 is perforated to permit an inert gas to pass through the tube to form a protective fluid wall for preventing the radially-inward reactant products from contacting the inner surface 84 of the tube. Perforations 78 are located, shaped and dimensioned such that inert gas jets 86 are formed each having a substantially radially-directed momentum sufficient to repel the reactants. The injection of inert gas is controlled so that gas jets overlap to form the protective fluid wall, but the gas jets do not disturb flow within the radially-inward reaction zone. Sections of the reactor tube may remain unperforated, but are protected by the downstream flow of the injected inert gas.

Abstract: A reactor tube 20 for a high-temperature fluid wall reactor has a generally cylindrical shape and is made of a refractory material which permits the tube to be heated to incandescence. The reactor tube in turn radiates energy inwardly to a reaction zone to sustain the desired high-temperature reaction. At least a length of the tube 20 is perforated to permit an inert gas to pass through the tube to form a protective fluid wall for preventing the radially-inward reactant products from contacting the inner surface 84 of the tube. Perforations 78 are located, shaped and dimensioned such that inert gas jets 86 are formed each having a substantially radially-directed momentum sufficient to repel the reactants. The injection of inert gas is controlled so that gas jets overlap to form the protective fluid wall, but the gas jets do not disturb flow within the radially-inward reaction zone. Sections of the reactor tube may remain unperforated, but are protected by the downstream flow of the injected inert gas.

Abstract: A mounting assembly 4 is provided for a feed tube 12 of a high-temperature fluid-wall reactor of the type having a vertically oriented reactor tube heated to incandescence for emitting radiation radially inward to a reaction zone. The mounting assembly 4 comprises a tube support 34 having an opening 42 through which the feed tube 12 can pass, and a pivot seat member 30 secured to the reactor. The assembly 4 further comprises a retainer 52 for selectively fixing the orientation of the feed tube relative to the reactor, and a releasable attachment mechanism 70 for allowing the axial position of the feed tube to be adjusted relative to the assembly 4. According to the method of the invention, undesirable conditions within the reactor are detected, and the orientation of the feed tube is pivotably adjusted in response thereto for reducing undesirable reactor operating conditions.

Abstract: A feed input assembly 2 for a high-temperature chemical reactor 4 includes a feed tube 6 having a feed inlet opening 8 and a feed-discharge opening 12. A cooling jacket 14 surrounds a length of the feed tube 6 extending from the feed-discharge opening 12. The cooling jacket 14 has an inlet 22 and an outlet 24 for respectively receiving and discharging a coolant. A coolant channel 17 is formed by a space between the cooling jacket 14 and the feed tube 6. The input assembly also includes flow-directing conduit means 32 for directing a flow of coolant from the inlet 22 of the cooling jacket 14 against inner wall portions of the feed tube 6 and cooling jacket 14 adjacent the feed-discharge opening 12.