Boron carbide (B4C) ceramics were produced by spark plasma sintering technique with 5, 10, 15, and 20 vol.% aluminum (Al) in order to improve sintering behaviours of B4C ceramics. B4C ceramics were produced, having square cross-section and 50×50×5 mm 3 dimensions. The sintering process was carried out at different temperatures by applying 40 MPa of pressure with 100 • C/min under vacuum. The effects of various amounts of Al additive and sintering temperature on density, vickers hardness, fracture toughness and microstructure were examined. The hardness and fracture toughness of the samples were evaluated by the Vickers indentation technique. Microstructures of the samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy technique. Fast neutron attenuation properties of the ceramics having highest density were also investigated.
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.