Abstract
Boron carbide is a low-density ceramic with high hardness and stiffness values that make it a valuable candidate for light armor applications. Fully dense boron carbide is fabricated by hot pressing of fine (<2 μm) powder at a relatively high temperature (2150-2200°C). Fully dense boron carbide can be processed from an initial mixture of 5.5 vol.% Fe and low-cost B4C powder by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 2000°C. At this temperature, Fe-free boron carbide can be consolidated only to 96% of the theoretical density. The effect of the Fe addition on the densities is even more pronounced at lower processing temperatures and is related to the presence of a liquid phase in the Fe-containing material. The resulting microstructure and mechanical properties of the Fe-containing boron carbide are presented and discussed.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 533-538 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Powder Metallurgy and Metal Ceramics |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 11-12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Nov 2007 |
Keywords
- Boron carbide
- Iron
- Mechanical properties
- Powder
- Sintering
- Spark plasma
- Structure
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ceramics and Composites
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Mechanics of Materials
- Metals and Alloys
- Materials Chemistry