If you are not sure about boron carbide powder, then you should know that it is one of the hardest materials. It is known that a substance has physical and chemical properties similar to diamonds. Because it looks black or gray, the powder is often called a “black diamond.” The substance is not only odorless, but also insoluble in water.
Properties of boron carbide powder
The compound is a solid boron-carbon ceramics and is widely used in industry, in the production of bulletproof vests and tank armor. When measuring hardness up to 9.3 on the Mohs scale, the compound is recognized as one of the hardest materials after cubic boron nitride and diamond. The elastic modulus and fracture toughness are some properties that are close to the values for diamond.
While the base material is solid in nature, the powder form is formed by a chemical reaction between carbon dioxide and boron oxide. Since heat recovery occurs in an electric arc furnace, the powder must be cleaned in various ways. After removal of metallic impurities, the powder becomes suitable for commercial use. Contact Boron Carbon suppliers if you plan to purchase this substance.
Like other non-oxide materials, boron carbide is tough for sintering. But a density of 95% can be achieved by hot pressing or sintering hot isostatic pressure. To achieve sintering at temperatures from 1900 to 2200 degrees Celsius, the compound must be mixed with a small amount of silicon carbide or thin carbon.
It is very interesting that Boron Carbide has a high cross-sectional area and is able to absorb neutrons. In addition, the substance provides stability when it is necessary to ionize chemicals and radiation. The compound also serves as a p-type semiconductor characterized by hopping-type transport. Since the band gap is equivalent to 2.09 eV, intermediate intermediate states make the photoluminescence spectrum more complex.
As for the molar mass, the compound is 55.255 g / mol with a specific gravity of 2.52. The melting point is 2763 ° C (5005 ° F), and the boiling point is somewhere closer to 3500 ° C. Besides other physical properties, the substance has a density of 2.52 g / cm3.
When the substance is in its normal state, the material has a rhombohedral crystal structure. It is because of this attribute that one can consider several options without changing the structure. Carbon content can vary up to 17%. To learn more about the material, contact the manufacturer of boron carbide.
Use of boron carbide powder
Due to its hardness, boron carbide functions as an abrasive when materials need to be polished. It is also used in the manufacture of cutting tools and applications, such as water jet cutting. Since the material is resistant to abrasion, it is also used in the manufacture of nozzles.
With high strength, low density and high modulus of elasticity, the material is used in ballistic armor. Properties help protect people from high-speed projectiles.
Since boron carbide is a neutron absorber, the material is widely used in nuclear reactors. In most cases, the material is used as granules.
