Novel powder processing of sintered boron carbide

Boron carbide is an interesting ceramic which has some unique properties including exceptionally high hardness, low specific gravity and good chemical resistance. The UK secretary for defence has patented two manufacturing routes for boron carbide articles based on pressureless sintering and AWE has developed both the expertise and the technology to produce sintered boron carbide parts. This paper reviews the processes and demonstrates their flexibility and versatility in producing a wide range of sizes and shapes. (orig.)