Polycarbosilane (PCS) has huge application potential and the existing synthesis process needs to be optimized.

Polycarbosilane (PCS) is the most important compound among the emerging precursor polymers in new high-tech materials. Its main chain is composed of alternating silicon and carbon atoms. Polycarbosilane appears as a light yellow glass solid, is easily soluble in organic solvents such as n-hexane and xylene, and is insoluble in water. Polycarbosilane contains active groups and is suitable for participating in modification processing. It is easy to be heated and dissolved, and is widely used in high-tech ceramic materials of the silicon carbide series.

The synthesis process of polycarbosilane includes five types: hydrosilylation reaction method, redistribution and substitution reaction method, dechlorination reaction method, dehydrogenation coupling method and ring-opening polymerization method. Hydrosilation reaction method is the current mainstream synthesis process of polycarbosilane. In the 1970s, Professor Yajima of Tohoku University in Japan used a dechlorination reaction method, using dichlorodimethylsilane as the main raw material and thermal cracking to produce polycarbosilane. The ring-opening polymerization method uses 1,3 disilacyclobutane as the raw material and produces polycarbosilane through catalytic reaction. This method greatly improves the efficiency of polycarbosilane synthesis reaction, but the cost of raw materials is high and it is not suitable for large-scale production. .

According to the “2022-2027 China Polycarbosilane Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report released by the Industrial Research Center, Polycarbosilane is the main raw material for the preparation of silicon carbide fibers. Silicon carbide fiber has the advantages of corrosion resistance, high hardness, high strength, low density, and good thermal stability. It is considered an ideal material for high-tech industries and has broad application prospects in the fields of nuclear energy and aerospace. The global silicon carbide fiber market will reach US$2.56 billion in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 8.9%. Using polycarbosilane to prepare silicon carbide fiber can improve its high-temperature wave transmittance, gradient resistivity and radar wave absorption rate. Benefiting from the growing market demand for silicon carbide fibers, the polycarbosilane industry will develop rapidly.

In recent years, the prosperity of the polycarbosilane industry has continued to increase, and market competition has become increasingly fierce. Due to technical barriers, the world’s leading polycarbosilane companies are mainly concentrated in Japan, including Ube Industries and Nippon Carbon. my country’s polycarbosilane industry started late. The main production companies include Fujian Jianya Chemical Co., Ltd., Ningbo Zhongxing New Materials Technology Co., Ltd., Suzhou Saifei Group Co., Ltd., and Hunan Zerui New Materials Co., Ltd.

Industry analysts said that the polycarbosilane industry has high technical barriers, which has led to the slow progress of its large-scale application. As a polymer compound, polycarbosilane is in high demand in the high-tech field. Silicon carbide fiber is the largest demand end for polycarbosilane. Driven by the rapid development of downstream industries, the market space for polycarbosilane will continue to expand. As my country’s local companies and research institutions continue to increase their research and development efforts, the polycarbosilane synthesis process will be further optimized, and the future development prospects of the industry will continue to improve.