Structural and Mechanical Properties of Activated Sintered Boron Carbide-Based Materials

Boron carbide based materials (B4C–MeIV–VIxBy) were obtained by pressureless sintering at 2150–2250°C in the presence of some transition metal (IV–VI group) carbides (MeIV–VIxCy, whereMeis Ti, V, Cr, and W). The structural and mechanical (micro hardness, abrasive wear resistance) properties of these materials were studied. Changes of the boron carbide lattice parameters were observed after sintering. EDS analysis showed the presence of a transition metal phase in the boron carbide structure. A considerable increase in microhardness (76 GPa) and abrasive wear resistance values of the sintered materials (1.8 times as compared to “pure” hot-pressed B4C) was registered. A new class of superhard boron carbide-based materials was obtained by pressureless sintering. The materials processed by this method are promising for high performance applications.