Silicon Carbide

Silicon Carbide Chunks: A Fascinating Stocking Filler!

approx 30 to 40g

approx 6cm longest point

The price is for one piece.

Unique Silicon Carbide chunks! Known for their incredible hardness and dazzling, almost metallic shimmer, these pieces are a perfect way to spark curiosity about crystals and minerals.

Features:

• Unique Appearance: Silicon Carbide exhibits a stunning, iridescent surface that glimmers with rainbow hues under the light.
• Educational: A great conversation starter about minerals, their formation, and their uses in technology.
• Kid-Friendly Size: Each chunk is perfectly sized to fit in a child’s hand or a stocking, making them ideal festive treats.
• Durable: Silicon Carbide is one of the hardest materials on Earth, ensuring these chunks will stand up to curious exploration.

Why Kids Love Them:

• They're shiny, sparkly, and fun to explore up close.
• A wonderful addition to any growing rock or crystal collection.
• Perfect for imaginative play, whether they pretend they’re pieces of a meteor or a magical treasure!

Silicon Carbide (SiC) is an extraordinary material that doesn’t occur naturally in large quantities but is instead created through a fascinating process. Here’s how it’s made:

1. Raw Materials: It starts with two key ingredients—silicon (from sand) and carbon (from coke or coal).

2. Heating in a Furnace: These materials are combined and heated in an electric arc furnace to temperatures exceeding 2,500°C (4,500°F)! The intense heat causes a chemical reaction, forming Silicon Carbide crystals.

3. Crystallisation: As the mixture cools, the crystals solidify into their iconic hard structure. Some may also develop their stunning iridescent surface, making them truly eye-catching.

4. Cutting and Polishing: Once the crystals are formed, they can be broken into smaller chunks and polished to highlight their unique sparkle and colours.

A Fun Fact for the Kids:

Silicon Carbide is also known as carborundum, and because it’s so hard and durable, it’s used in everything from sandpaper to car brakes—and even in space technology!

When you give these Silicon Carbide chunks as a stocking filler, you're gifting a piece of human ingenuity, science, and natural beauty—perfect for curious minds to explore!