In situ boron carbide–titanium diboride composites prepared by mechanical milling and subsequent Spark Plasma Sintering

Ultrafine Al2O3–B4C composites consolidated by pulsed electric current sintering

“…Moreover, a small amount of Al 2 O 3 was found to improve the relative density of B 4 C to a large extent and B 4 C composites with 10 wt% Al 2 O 3 could be densified by PECS at 1900 • C for 2 min [7]. TiB 2 addition to B 4 C has been reported to result in a higher fracture toughness [6]. The addition of TiC, TiB 2 , WC or SiC particles in an Al 2 O 3 matrix improve the fracture toughness, hardness, and strength for cutting tool applications [8][9][10][11][12].…”

“…Full densification of undoped B 4 C however is a challenge. Recent developments on B 4 C-based composites are focused on reducing the densification temperature either by using sintering additives or the use of alternative sintering technologies to achieve higher fracture toughness and strength [5,6]. PECS densification of B 4 C composites with TiC and Al 2 O 3 was reported to be feasible at lower temperatures compared to hot pressing [4,7].…”

Formation mechanism of B4C–TiB2–TiC ceramic composite produced by mechanical alloying of Ti–B4C powders

“…TiB 2 has been proposed as a promising second phase for the improvement of B 4 C properties [15][16][17][18]. Pairing B 4 C and TiB 2 in a composite can be beneficial for the design of thermoelectric materials [19,20] and composites with increased fracture toughness and bending strength relative to pure boron carbide [3,21]. Also, TiB 2 was suggested as a possible grain growth inhibitor for B 4 C [13].…”

Network distribution of reinforcements in composites produced by sintering: microstructure formation and influence on consolidation behavior and properties

“…21),32) In a ceramic composite, the phase with a higher melting temperature also comprises most of the porosity, if it forms agglomerates, as has been shown for TiB 2 B 4 C composites with boron carbide acting as a matrix toughened by higher-melting point titanium diboride. 33) If the matrix and the reinforcement could sinter within the same temperature range, it would be much easier to produce pore-free compacts. The network distribution of particles that can act as a binder in composites during sintering is beneficial for eliminating porosity uniformly throughout the microstructure.…”