Removal of excess carbon in boron carbide

Abstract

The potential of boron carbide makes it appealing for applications such as lightweight armour. Although the preparation of boron carbide is relatively simple compared to cubic boron nitride and diamond, free carbon, in the form of graphite, is always present in the raw state in boron carbide. The high sintering temperatures of graphite inevitably raises the sintering temperature of boron carbide, leading to undesirable grain growth. While the removal of free carbon residue in boron carbide powders is a challenging task, it is essential and technologically beneficial to produce boron carbide powders with minimal free carbon, especially for defence applications.