Spark Plasma Sintered B₄C—Structural, Thermal, Electrical and Mechanical Properties

Abstract

The structural, thermal, electrical and mechanical properties of fully dense B4C ceramics, sintered using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), were studied and compared to the properties of B4C ceramics previously published in the literature. New results on B4C’s mechanical responses were obtained by nanoindentation and ring-on-ring biaxial strength testing. The findings contribute to a more complete knowledge of the properties of B4C ceramics, an important material in many industrial applications.

Keywords

• boron carbide
• mechanical properties
• ring-on-ring test
• finite elements analysis