Pressureless sintering of boron carbide

Abstract

Slip casting and pressureless sintering process of boron carbide is made practical to the range of 99.2% relative density. Microstructure and XRD analysis of the sintered body shows its sintering mechanism that boron rich boron carbide absorbs amorphous carbon, which is converted from mainly phenoric resin and functions also as abnormal grain growth inhibitor, to almost stoichiometric B12C3 and unabsorbed carbon remains at triple point of grains to be converted to graphite.