Effects of reactants proportions on features of in-situ magnesiothermic self-propagating high temperature synthesized boron carbide powder

Abstract

The effects of reactant proportions were investigated on features (phase composition, micromorphology and crystal development) of B4C (boron carbide) powder synthesized by in-situ magnesiothermic SHS (self-propagating high temperature synthesis) method, which was based on the perspective of thermodynamic design. The results showed that the reactant proportions were the fundamental reasons affecting the phase composition of the products during the reaction process. Mg addition could decrease the Mg3B2O6/MgO mass ratio of the SHS products. Moreover, C addition would increase the C/B mass ratio of the leached products. When the C molar ratio was 0.2, free boron appeared in the leached products, and the composition of boron carbide was B13C2. When the C molar ratio ≥0.6, the composition of boron carbide changed into B4C, while free carbon began to appear. The lattice parameters a and c of boron carbide crystal dropped with the increase of the C/B mass ratio from 0.1 to 0.3. Meanwhile, carbon atoms gradually entered the boron carbide unit cell. When the C/B mass ratio exceeds 0.3, the lattice parameters tended to be constants of a = 5.608 Å, c = 12.039 Å, while free carbon began to appear in the leached products.