| abstract |
A method of forming a sintered boron carbide body includes washing boron carbide powder with essentially pure water at an elevated temperature to generate low oxygen boron carbide powder, mixing a sintering aid and a pressing aid with the low oxygen boron carbide powder to form a green mixture, and shaping the green mixture into a green boron carbide body. The method can include mixing titanium carbide powder having an average particle diameter in a range of between about 5 nm and about 100 nm with the low oxygen boron carbide powder. The method can further include sintering the green boron carbide body, and hot isostatic pressing the sintered body, to a density greater than about 98.5% of the theoretical density (TD) of boron carbide. Alternatively, the method can include sintering the shaped boron carbide green body at a temperature greater than about 2,200° C., to thereby form a eutectic liquid solid solution of B 4 C/SiC, forming a sintered boron carbide body with a density greater than about 98% TD. |