Silicon Carbide Is a Very Important Abrasive Material
Boron carbide can absorb a large amount of neutrons without forming any radioactive isotopes, making it an ideal neutron absorber in nuclear power plants, where neutron absorbers are used primarily to control the rate of nuclear fission. Boron carbide is mainly made into controllable rod shapes in nuclear reactor fields, but sometimes it is made into powder form to increase surface area.
Due to its low density, high strength, high temperature stability, and good chemical stability, boron carbide for sale is used in wear-resistant materials, ceramic reinforcement phases, especially in lightweight armor, nuclear reactor neutron absorbers, etc. In addition, compared with diamond and cubic boron nitride, boron carbide is easier to manufacture and cheaper, making it more widely used, and even replacing expensive diamond in some applications such as grinding, drilling, etc.
Boron carbide does not react with acid or alkaline solutions, and has high chemical potential, neutron absorption, wear resistance, and semiconductor conductivity. It is one of the most stable substances to acid and is stable in all concentrated or dilute acid or alkali aqueous solutions. Boron carbide is basically stable in air environment below 800°C, but at higher temperatures, boron oxide formed by oxidation is lost in the gas phase, causing instability and the formation of carbon dioxide and boron trioxide.
When some transition metals and their carbides coexist, they have special stability. Under conditions of 1000-1100°C, transition metals in the fourth, fifth, and sixth groups of the periodic table react strongly with boron carbide powder to form metal borides. However, at higher reaction temperatures, literature reports suggest that boron carbide is prone to nitridation or reaction with transition metal oxides to form corresponding boron nitride and boride, the latter of which is mostly rare earth and alkaline earth metal hexaboride.
When sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, and potassium carbonate are melted, boron carbide is easily decomposed, and the boron content is determined. Its Mohs hardness is about 9.5, making it the third hardest known substance after diamond and cubic boron nitride, and its hardness is higher than that of silicon carbide.
Due to the methods of preparation, boron carbide is prone to carbon defects, resulting in a wide range of boron-to-carbon ratios that do not affect its crystal structure, often resulting in a decrease in its physical and chemical properties. These defects are often difficult to distinguish by powder diffraction and often require chemical titration and energy loss spectrum determination.
Controlled nuclear fission
Boron carbide can absorb a large amount of neutrons without forming any radioactive isotopes, making it an ideal neutron absorber in nuclear power plants, where neutron absorbers are used primarily to control the rate of nuclear fission. Boron carbide is mainly made into controllable rod shapes in nuclear reactor fields, but sometimes it is made into powder form to increase surface area.
Grinding materials
Because boron carbide was used as a coarse sand blasting material a long time ago, it has been used for grinding, polishing, drilling, and polishing of hard materials such as hard alloys and gemstones. Due to its high melting point, it is not easy to cast artificial products, but it can be processed into simple shapes by high-temperature melting of powder.
Coatings
Boron carbide can also be used as a ceramic coating for warships and helicopters, with its light weight and ability to resist penetration and heat pressure coatings, forming a complete protective layer.
