Phase and property studies of boron carbide-boron nitride composites

This paper reports on boron carbide-boron nitride particulate composites that were fabricated by vacuum hot-pressing. Near-theoretical densities of B4C were obtained, but percent theoretical densities decreased with increasing amounts of BN. The grain size of B4C and BN was not affected by composition, but the amount of twinning in B4C decreased with increasing BN content. No third phase was found at the B4C-BN interface by analytical STEM analysis. Lattice parameter measurements indicated slight solubility of B4C in BN, but no solubility of BN in B4C for samples hot-pressed at 2250 degrees C. Room-temperature flexural strength measurements revealed a sharply decreasing strength with increasing BN content up to 40% BN, and then relatively constant values with greater amounts of BN