Silicon vs Silicon carbide
Silicon and Silicon carbide are genuine alternatives to one another — a choice somebody actually makes — and differ on 2 measured properties, density most clearly.
Silicon vs Silicon carbide
These are different kinds of thing (element, compound). Fewer properties mean the same thing across both, so a like-for-like reading may not be available.
Silicon
Si
The second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, and the substrate of essentially all modern electronics.
Silicon carbide
SiC
A synthetic ceramic close to diamond in hardness, and the first commercially successful manufactured abrasive.
| Property | Silicon | Silicon carbide |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic number Only one of the two has a figure we can stand behind, so there is nothing to compare. | 14 | Not known |
| Crystal system Only one of the two has a figure we can stand behind, so there is nothing to compare. | Not known | hexagonal |
| Density | 2.329 g/cm³ | 3.21 g/cm³ higher |
| Melting point Only one of the two has a figure we can stand behind, so there is nothing to compare. | 1414 °C | Not known |
| Mohs hardness Only one of the two has a figure we can stand behind, so there is nothing to compare. | Not known | 9–9.5 |
| Molar mass | 28.085 g/mol | 40.1 g/mol higher |
Choosing between them
Silicon carbide is recorded as a substitute for Silicon — better at temperature.
What it gives up: Substantially more expensive per device, which confines it to power electronics where the loss saved pays for it.
In this application, on the evidence cited above.