We have investigated how the composition, grain morphology, and method of preparing the starting mixture affect the processes that form the structure and phase composition of B 4 C − SiC composites during hot pressing. We found that, depending on the composition of the initial powder mixtures, which is responsible for different mechanisms of consolidation of ceramic materials during hot pressing, the grain size of the main B 4 C phase and its defect content as well as the nature of the SiC phase distribution within the material differ significantly. When B 4 C − SiC composites with a low SiC content are made from initial B 4 C − B 4 Si − B − C powder mixtures those composites have a high cracking resistance because of their fine grain structure.
The paper examines the phase composition, structure, and erosion properties of B 4 C-Al composite materials produced by hot pulse pressing. It is shown that powder components actively interact to form new phases during pressing, TiB 2 and AlB 12 being the main phases. The erosion properties of the composites are greatly dependent on the composition of powder mixtures and compaction temperature. The structural features of the composites, namely the nanosized secondary phases at B 4 C grain boundaries, intensify the anode mass transfer to the titanium substrate and the formation of a protective coating up to 50 µm thick. The microhardness of this coating is about 40 GPa and its wear resistance is threefold higher than that of the substrate material.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.