Nanoscale Boron Carbide Powder

Nano Boron Carbide Powder

CAS: 12069-32-8

Boron carbide, also known as black diamond, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula B₄C, typically appearing as a gray-black fine powder. It is one of the three hardest known materials (second only to diamond and cubic boron nitride) and is used in tank armor, bulletproof vests, and many industrial applications. Its Mohs hardness is approximately 9.5. It appears as black, lustrous crystals. Its hardness is lower than that of industrial diamond but higher than silicon carbide. Compared to most ceramics, it has lower brittleness. It has a large thermal neutron capture cross-section, strong resistance to chemical reactions, and is unaffected by hot hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid. It dissolves in molten alkalis but not in water or acids. Its relative density is about 2.5, melting point is 2350°C, and boiling point is 3500°C.

Due to its low density, high strength, high-temperature stability, and good chemical stability, it is used in wear-resistant materials, ceramic reinforcement phases, and especially in lightweight armor and reactor neutron absorbers. Additionally, compared to diamond and cubic boron nitride, boron carbide is easier to manufacture and more cost-effective, making it more widely used. In some applications, it can replace expensive diamond, commonly used in grinding, polishing, drilling, and other areas.

Nano Boron Carbide - Technical Specifications: VK-BC100

Applications:

1. Application of Boron Carbide in the Nuclear Industry

Boron carbide has a high neutron absorption cross-section and a wide spectrum of neutron absorption energy, making it commonly used as a neutron-absorbing material in nuclear reactors. The thermal cross-section of the boron-10 isotope is as high as 347×10⁻²⁴ cm², second only to a few elements such as gadolinium, samarium, and cadmium, making it an efficient thermal neutron absorber. Additionally, boron carbide is abundant in resources, corrosion-resistant, thermally stable, does not produce radioactive isotopes, and has low secondary radiation energy. Therefore, it is widely used as a control and shielding material in nuclear reactors.

2. Application of Boron Carbide in Materials

Boron carbide has broad applications in materials: as an abrasive for grinding and polishing engineering ceramics, gemstones, and hard alloys; due to its high hardness, it can be used to make sandblasting nozzles and high-pressure waterjet cutting nozzles; its good corrosion resistance and chemical stability make it suitable for manufacturing shaft tips of flow transmitters in rocket liquid engines or as corrosion- and wear-resistant components in ceramic gas turbines; its stability in molten iron and good thermal conductivity make it suitable for continuous casting molds in the mechanical industry. Additionally, boron carbide is used in coating materials: its high hardness, wear resistance, radiation resistance, and chemical stability make it suitable for manufacturing amorphous boron carbide-coated cutting tools.

3. Application of Boron Carbide in Electrical Properties

Utilizing the thermoelectric properties of boron carbide, boron carbide/graphite thermocouples can be produced.

4. After activation by halogens, boron carbide can be used as a boriding agent for steel or other alloys, creating a thin layer of iron boride on the surface of steel to enhance the material's strength and wear resistance. Due to its high hardness and grinding ability, adding boron carbide to metal-based friction materials can significantly increase the friction coefficient and positively impact the performance of high-energy braking materials.

5. Used as an Antioxidant

For example: as an additive in refractory magnesia-carbon bricks and iron hook castables, it forms a protective layer on carbonaceous materials under certain oxidizing conditions, preventing rapid oxidation of carbonaceous materials and thereby extending the service life of refractory materials.

Xuancheng Jingrui New Materials Mr. Gan 18620162680 WeChat.

Nozzle materials, radiation protection materials, composite armor materials