Boron Carbide Powder
B4C is an important industrial material, particularly as a neutron absorbing ceramic for nuclear reactor applications such as control rods, shut-down pellets, and rod accident bars. It has a high neutron absorption cross-section and produces no radionuclides, making it an excellent choice for nuclear industry applications. B4C is also a popular additive to bulletproof materials and can be found in many of the products that protect people, motors, and aircraft from bullets.
The crystal structure of boron carbide consists of linear rods consisting of three carbon atoms and twelve boron atoms arranged in a dodecahedral pattern. Its hardness (Mohs scale 9.3) makes it suitable for abrasives and cutting tools. Due to its low density, high melting point and chemical inertness, b4c is an important raw material for other boron-containing materials such as zirconium boride and titanium boron carbide.
ACM offers a variety of b4c powder in a range of sizes and packaging options, including 500g/bag and 1kg/bag. The b4c powder is supplied in a vacuum-sealed bag to prevent moisture and oxygen infiltration and ensure the optimum performance of the product.
The b4c is prepared by reducing boric oxide with carbon using a carbothermic reduction method. The resulting green body is then sintered under pressure to produce dense boron carbide. The sintering process is influenced by the addition of boron and silicon to the starting powder mixture. The samples with a pure boron content showed large pores in the sintered ceramic, while those with a silicon and boron addition had very low porosity.