Abstract
A series of test materials were produced from boron carbide (B4C) powders with additions of either boron in amounts up to 60 wt.%, silicon (4 wt.%) or silicon and silicon carbide (4 wt.% and 30 wt.%, respectively). The powder mixtures were densified by encapsulation hot-isostatic pressing. The test materials where evaluated in dry particle erosion tests with silicon carbide grits. Particular attention was given to the relation between the microstructure and the composition.It was found that boron additions up to 20 wt.%, decreased the average grain size and reduced the porosity of the boron carbide. A material with 60 wt.% boron exhibited very low porosity and supreme resistance to particle erosion. The erosion resistance was also significantly improved by additions of silicon and silicon carbide.The favorable effects of boron, silicon and silicon carbide are discussed in terms of their influence on microstructural parameters, such as grain size, porosity, grain boundaries and reduction of free carbon.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
G. De With, J. Less Common Met. 95 (1983) 133.
F. Thevenot, J. Euro. Ceram. Soc. 6 (1990) 205.
A. G. Evans, M. E. Gulden and M. Rosenvlatt, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A361 (1978) 343.
A. W. Ruff and S. M. Wiederholm, “Treatise on Materials Science and Technology,” Vol. 16 (Academic Press, New York, 1979) p. 69.
M. Bouchacourt and F. Thevenot, J. Less Common Met. 82 (1981) 227.
E. Amberger, M. Druminsky and K. Ploog, ibid. 23 (1971) 43.
L. B. Ekbom, B. Lars and C. O. Amundin, Science of Ceramics 11 (1981) 237.
K. Ploog, J. Less Common Met. 35 (1974) 115.
K. A. Schwetz and G. W. Grellner, ibid. 82 (1981) 37.
C. Greskovich and L. H. Rosolowski, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 59 (1976) 336.
S. L. Dole and S. Prochazka, Ceram. Eng. Sci. Proc. 6 (1985) 1151.
S. L. Dole, S. P. Prochazka and R. H. Doremus, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 72 (1989) 958.
T. Larker, Mater. Sci. Eng. 71 (1985) 329.
ASTM Designation: E562-83, “Standard Practises for Determining the Volume Fraction by Sytematic Manual Point Count”.
J. C. Wurst and J. A. Nelson, J. Am. Ceram. Soc.-Discussion and Notes 55 (1972) 109.
S. SÖderberg, S. Hogmark, U. Engman and H. Swahn, Trib. Int. 16 (1981) 333.
C. B. Ponton and R. D. Rawlings, Mater. Sci. Technol. 5 (1989) 865.
R.D. Rawlings Idem., ibid. 5 (1989) 961.
F. ThÉvenot, J. Nuclear Mater. 152 (1988) 154.
H. Suzukii et al., Yogyo-Kyokai 87 (1979) 430.
F. Thevenot and M. Bougoin, in AIP Conference Proceeding, Abuquerque, June 1986, edited by D. Emin (American Institute Physics, New York) p. 51.
B. L. Grabchuk and P. S. Kisley, Poroshkovaya-Metallurgya 15 (1976) 18.
P. S. Kisley Idem., (Translation) ibid. 165 (1976) 18.
M. Bouchacourt, C. Brodhag and F. Thevenot, Science of Ceramics 11 (1981) 231.
A. D. Panasyuk, V. D. Oreshkin and V. R. Maslennikova, Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya 199 (1979) 79.
L. B. Ekbom, Science of Ceramics 9 (1977) 183.
J. W. Hutchinson, Acta Metall. 23 (1987) 1605.
P. H. Shipway and I. M. Hutchings, Wear 149 (1991) 85.
J. L. Routbort and R. O. Scattergood, Key Eng. Mater. 71 (1992) 23.
L. Murugesh, S. Srinivasan and R. O. Scattergood, J. Mater. Eng. 13 (1991) 55.
E. Ness and R. Zibbell, Wear 196 (1996) 120.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Larsson, P., Axén, N. & Hogmark, S. Improvements of the microstructure and erosion resistance of boron carbide with additives. Journal of Materials Science 35, 3433–3440 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004888522607
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004888522607