Application of boron carbide B4C

1. Application of boron carbide in nuclear industry

Boron carbide has a high neutron absorption cross-section and a wide energy spectrum for absorbing neutrons, and is commonly used as a neutron absorption material in nuclear reactors. The thermal cross-section of the boron 10 isotope is as high as 347 × 10-24cm2, second only to a few elements such as gadolinium, samarium, and cadmium, making it an efficient thermal neutron absorber. In addition, boron carbide is rich in resources, corrosion-resistant, has good thermal stability, does not produce radioactive isotopes, and has low secondary radiation energy. Therefore, boron carbide is widely used as a control material and shielding material in nuclear reactors.

2. Application of boron carbide in materials

Boron carbide has broad applications in materials: as an abrasive, it is used for grinding and polishing engineering ceramics, gemstones, hard alloys, etc; Boron carbide has high hardness and can be used to make sandblasting nozzles and high-pressure water jet cutting nozzles, as well as bulletproof ceramics for bulletproof armor; Boron carbide has good corrosion resistance and stable chemical properties, and can be used to make the shaft tip of flow transmitters for rocket liquid engine fuel or as a corrosion-resistant and friction resistant device in ceramic gas turbines; Boron carbide has good stability and thermal conductivity for molten iron, and can be used as a continuous casting mold in the mechanical industry. In addition, the application of boron carbide in coating materials: boron carbide has high hardness, wear resistance, radiation resistance, chemical stability, and can be used to make amorphous boron carbide coated cutting tools.

3. Application of boron carbide in electrical performance

By utilizing the thermoelectric properties of boron carbide, boron carbide/graphite thermocouples can be produced.

4. Application of boron carbide in chemical raw materials

After being activated by halogens, boron carbide powder can be used as a boronizing agent for steel or other alloys, and boronize the surface of the steel to generate a thin layer of iron boride, thereby enhancing the strength and wear resistance of the material. Boron carbide has high hardness and grinding ability. Adding it to metal based friction materials can significantly improve the friction coefficient value of the material and have a positive impact on the performance of high-energy braking materials.