Boron carbide
Properties
Chemical formula: B₄C
Name: Boron carbide
CAS No.: 12069-32-8
Molar mass: 55.25 g/mol
Density: 2.52 g/cm³
Melting point: approx. 2450 °C
Boiling point: above 3500 °C
Color: dark gray to deep black
Form: fine powder or dense sintered solid
Hardness: approx. 9.3 on the Mohs scale
Boron carbide (B₄C) is a covalent inorganic compound from the carbide group and one of the hardest known non-metallic ceramic materials. It is available as a fine dark-gray to deep-black powder or as a dense sintered solid. With a melting point of approximately 2450 °C and a boiling point above 3500 °C, boron carbide offers exceptionally high thermal stability.
The most notable property of boron carbide is its extreme hardness of approximately 9.3 on the Mohs scale. This places it among the hardest engineering materials and has earned it the name "black diamond". The material also features an elastic modulus of approximately 450 GPa together with excellent resistance to wear and abrasion.
With a relatively low density of just 2.52 g/cm³, B₄C combines low weight with high mechanical performance. It also offers strong resistance to acids and alkalis, even at elevated temperatures.
Because boron carbide contains the boron-10 isotope, it has a very high thermal-neutron absorption capability. This makes it particularly important in nuclear technology for control rods, shielding and neutron-absorbing components.
Industrial boron carbide is mainly produced by carbothermal reduction of boron trioxide B₂O₃ with carbon in an electric arc furnace at temperatures between approximately 1500 and 2500 °C.
Boron and its compounds are used in numerous advanced applications, while boron carbide is particularly important for ballistic protection, abrasives, nuclear technology and wear-resistant components. Would you like to buy boron carbide? Auremo can provide information about available forms, purity grades and delivery conditions. The boron carbide price depends on purity, particle size, product form, quantity and order conditions.
Advantages
• Extremely high hardness
• Excellent abrasion and wear resistance
• Low density of 2.52 g/cm³
• Very high thermal stability
• Effective thermal-neutron absorption
• High resistance to acids and alkalis
• Elastic modulus of approximately 450 GPa
• Suitable for lightweight high-strength protective components
Applications
• Ballistic protection
• Personal body armor
• Vehicle and helicopter armor
• Abrasive and grinding materials
• Lapping and polishing of hard metals, sapphire and ceramics
• Sandblasting nozzles
• Nuclear technology
• Control rods and neutron shielding
• Reactor absorber materials
• Wire-drawing dies
• Waterjet cutting nozzles
• Wear-resistant guides and rollers
Auremo offers boron carbide and other specialty materials for industrial applications. If you have any questions about B₄C, available purity grades, particle sizes, product forms or delivery conditions, please contact us directly.
