Premium
Microstructural Characterization of Commercial Hot‐Pressed Boron Carbide Ceramics
Author(s) -
Chen M. W.,
McCauley J. W.,
LaSalvia J. C.,
Hemker K. J.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2005.00346.x
Subject(s) - boron carbide , materials science , grain boundary , graphite , orthorhombic crystal system , ceramic , carbide , transmission electron microscopy , boron , metallurgy , hot pressing , microstructure , composite material , crystallography , nanotechnology , crystal structure , chemistry , organic chemistry
Two commercial hot‐pressed boron carbide ceramics were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Atomic‐scale observations suggest that the grain boundaries of the two materials are free of grain‐boundary films. Two triple‐junction phases were found and characterized to be rhombohedral Fe 2 B 103 and orthorhombic Ti 3 B 4 . In addition, intra‐granular precipitates, AlN, Mo 2 (C, B) and graphite, were identified and found to have coherent relationships with the boron carbide matrix. Micron‐scale inclusions were also observed and most of them were determined to be graphite. The formation mechanisms of the secondary phases and their possible influence on mechanical properties are also discussed.