Overheating equilibrium composition

Figure 7 shows the equilibrium composition of products in the reaction of SiC with air at 100 kPa. It shows that solid phase Si02 does not become liquid phase SiOj, nor gas phase SiO and SiO below 2000 K. This means that solid SiOj is lost only when it is heated to above 2000 K. Therefore, one possible cause of the pinhole-like damage is local overheating of material. 

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