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Density- and hardness-optimized pressureless sintered and post-hot isostatic pressed B4C

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Abstract

Pressureless sintered B4C relative densities as high as 96.7% were obtained by optimizing the soak temperature, and holding at that temperature for the minimum time required to reach terminal density. Although the relative densities of pressureless sintered specimens were lower than that of commercially produced hot-pressed B4C, their (Vickers) hardness values were comparable. For 4.45-cm-diameter, 1.35-cm-high disk-shaped specimens, pressureless sintered to at least 93.0% relative density, post-hot isostatic pressing resulted in vast increases in relative densities (e.g., 100.0%) and hardness values significantly greater than that of commercially produced hot-pressed B4C.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA

    Namtae Cho, Zhihao Bao & Robert F. Speyer

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  1. Namtae Cho
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  2. Zhihao Bao
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  3. Robert F. Speyer
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Correspondence to Robert F. Speyer.

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Cho, N., Bao, Z. & Speyer, R.F. Density- and hardness-optimized pressureless sintered and post-hot isostatic pressed B4C. Journal of Materials Research 20, 2110–2116 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2005.0260

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2005.0260

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