1. What Are The Advantages of Boron Carbide Ceramics?
The hardness of boron carbide ceramics is second only to diamond and cubic boron nitride, and its Vickers hardness is as high as 30GPa. It still maintains excellent performance in high temperature environments (melting point of 2,450°C), making it ideal for the making of high-temperature engine parts and nuclear reactor components.
In addition, the material has excellent resistance to chemical corrosion, maintaining stable in acids, alkalis and solvents, thus not easy to become brittle.
Boron carbide is efficient in neutron absorption, making it rank among the important materials applied in the nuclear energy field. Besides, its light weight (density of 2.52g/cm³) and high strength contribute to its wide use in the manufacturing of high-end equipment that requires lightweight design.
2. How is boron carbide ceramic made
3. How to learn/test the quality of boron carbide products
When evaluating boron carbide products of different specifications, we need to pay special attention to several key indicators:
· Appearance: High-quality boron carbide powder is gray-black with a metallic luster and good fluidity. There is no obvious agglomeration and unevenness.
· Density: The density of boron carbide can be measured using a densimeter. Generally, the density of qualified boron carbide should be between 2.5-2.6g/cm3.
· Hardness: The hardness of boron carbide is very high and can be measured with a Mohs hardness tester. The Mohs hardness of qualified boron carbide is about 9.3.
· Purity: The higher the purity of boron carbide, the more stable its performance, thereby meeting the needs of specific application scenarios to the most extent. You can get a comprehensive understanding of it by checking the product manual, learning the production process, and viewing the test report.
· Thermal properties: During the test, equipment like a high-temperature furnace need to be used to heat the sample to a certain temperature for measuring the sample's thermal expansion coefficient [5.73×10/ (28~1770)], thermal conductivity [121.4W/m·k (100)], thermal stability (melting point: 2450) and other indicators.
· Chemical composition: The acidity of boron carbide can be measured with an acidity meter, and the carbon content of boron carbide with a carbon content tester. The acidity of qualified boron carbide is between 1-2, and the carbon content between 10-20%.
· Corrosion resistance: The corrosion of the sample can be observed through an immersion test. Qualified boron carbide is insoluble in organic solvents and water and is resistant to acid and alkali corrosion.
