Boron Carbide (B4C), also known as black diamond, is the third hardest material after diamond and cubic boron nitride. It is a suitable material for many high performance applications due to its attractive combination of properties. Its outstanding hardness makes it a suitable abrasive powder for lapping, polishing and water jet cutting of metals and ceramics. The combination of low specific weight, high hardness and reasonable toughness makes it a suitable material for body and vehicle armor. Boron carbide is also extensively used as control rods, shielding materials and as neutron detectors in nuclear reactors due to its ability to absorb neutrons without forming long lived radionuclide. As it is a p-type semiconductor, boron carbide can be a suitable candidate material for electronic devices that can be operated at high temperatures. Boron Carbide is also an excellent p-type thermoelectric material.
Advantages
- High hardness
- Low density
- High melting point
- High elastic modulus
- Chemical inertness
- High neutron absorption cross-section
- Excellent thermoelectric properties
Application：
- Neutron absorber for nuclear facilities, as reactor control rods and neutron-absorbing shielding
- Anti-radiation coating for protection walls
- Polishing sapphire substrate
- Coating of Wear-resistant electrode
- Polishing hard alloy such as tungsten carbide as lapping abrasive material
- wear resistance liner such as bulletproof board and Armor
- Anti-oxidant in carbon-bonded refractory mixes
- Wear parts such as blasting nozzles, wire-drawing dies, powdered metal and ceramic forming dies, thread guides.
