Boron carbide based materials and process for the fabrication thereof

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for fabricating a solid article from a boron carbide powder comprising boron carbide particles that are coated with a titanium compound. Further disclosed herein are the unique advantages of the combined use of titanium and graphite additives in the form of water soluble species to improve intimacy of mixing in the green state. The carbon facilitates sintering, whose concentration is then attenuated in the process of forming very hard, finely dispersed TiBphases. The further recognition of the merits of a narrow particle size distribution BC powder and the use of sintering soak temperatures at the threshold of close porosity which achieve post-HIPed microstructures with average grain sizes approaching the original median particle size. The combination of interdependent factors has led to BC-based articles of higher hardness than previously reported.