Hardness and wear resistance of B 4C ceramics prepared with several additives

Abstract

Boron carbide-based ceramics were obtained by pressureless sintering at 2250 °C in the presence of several additives (C, B, TiB 2 and SiC). All the samples were prepared under the same conditions, thus improving uniformity and comparability for method-dependent properties such as microhardness and abrasive wear resistance. While the addition of carbon improved relative density, samples with TiB 2 showed best overall performance, with an increase in microhardness and wear resistance (as compared to pure B 4C). The improvement in mechanical properties with the addition of TiB 2 suggests it could be considered as a low-cost alternative to improve hardness and wear resistance of B 4C-based ceramics.