Boron Carbide
Boron Carbide is the third hardest material known, behind diamond and cubic boron nitride. Its powder is produced when carbon reacts to boron trioxide.
Types of Boron Carbide
- Hot Pressed boron carbide
Key Properties
- High Hardness and low density.
- High Melting point and thermal stability
- High Young’s Modulus
- Relatively low thermal expansion and conductivity
- Extreme abrasion resistance
Applications
The most common applications of boron carbide are the following:
Lightweight Ballistic Armor:
Light-weight ballistic armor due to its low density.
Nuclear:
Nuclear-grade boron carbide is used across a nuclear reactor core as a protective shield. It also performs special in-core & non-core applications in the nuclear reactor due to its high neutron absorbing cross-section with self-heal for radiation damage.
Engineering:
Various wear and combustion parts in reciprocating engines where stresses at high temperatures are prevalent.
Diesel engines, silicon nitrides are used in glow plugs (for quicker start-up time), precombustion chambers (to reduce emissions or act as a muffler), and turbochargers (to reduce engine lag).
Cam followers, tappet shims, precision shafts and axles.
Refractory:
Silicon nitride ceramic ball and roller bearings are preferred over steel for high-temperature applications.
This prolongs the bearing life at higher speeds as it would possess better corrosion resistance.
Its higher modulus of elasticity compared to steel indicates that it is more rigid, thus creating a smooth motion and less vibration with the contacting surfaces
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