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Journal of Advanced Ceramics 2023, 12(1): 182-195 https://doi.org/10.26599/JAC.2023.9220677
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 07 December 2022

Highly electro-conductive B4C–TiB2 composites with three-dimensional interconnected intergranular TiB2 network

Show Author's Information Jun ZHAOa,b,  Dong WANGc,  Xing JINa,  Xiang DINGa,  Jianhua ZHUa,  Songlin RANa,c,d( )
Key Laboratory of Metallurgical Emission Reduction & Resources Recycling (Anhui University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Maanshan 243002, China
School of Mechanical Engineering, Chaohu University, Hefei 238024, China
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan 243002, China
Jiangxi Nutpool Industrial Co., Ltd., Ji’an 331500, China
Keywords:
electrical conductivity, mechanical properties, B4C–TiB2, reactive sintering (RS), electro-conductive network
Cite this article:
ZHAO J, WANG D, JIN X, et al. Highly electro-conductive B4C–TiB2 composites with three-dimensional interconnected intergranular TiB2 network. Journal of Advanced Ceramics, 2023, 12(1): 182-195. https://doi.org/10.26599/JAC.2023.9220677
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Abstract Full text About this article

To achieve lightweight B4C-based composite ceramics with high electrical conductivities and hardness, B4C–TiB2 ceramics were fabricated by reactive spark plasma sintering (SPS) using B4C, TiC, and amorphous B as raw materials. During the sintering process, fine B4C–TiB2 composite particles are firstly in situ synthesized by the reaction between TiC and B. Then, large raw B4C particles tend to grow at the cost of small B4C particles. Finally, small TiB2 grains surround large B4C grains to create a three-dimensional interconnected intergranular TiB2 network, which is beneficial for an electro-conductive network and greatly improves the conductivity of the ceramics. The effect of the B4C particle size on the mechanical and electrical properties of the ceramics was investigated. When the particle size of initial B4C powders is 10.29 µm, the obtained B4C–15 vol% TiB2 composite ceramics exhibit an electrical conductivity as high as 2.79×104 S/m and a density as low as 2.782 g/cm3, together with excellent mechanical properties including flexural strength, Vickers hardness (HV), and fracture toughness (KIC) of 676 MPa, 28.89 GPa, and 5.28 MPa·m1/2, respectively.


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About this article

Highly electro-conductive B4C–TiB2 composites with three-dimensional interconnected intergranular TiB2 network

Show Author's information Jun ZHAOa,b, Dong WANGc, Xing JINa, Xiang DINGa, Jianhua ZHUa, Songlin RANa,c,d( )
Key Laboratory of Metallurgical Emission Reduction & Resources Recycling (Anhui University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Maanshan 243002, China
School of Mechanical Engineering, Chaohu University, Hefei 238024, China
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan 243002, China
Jiangxi Nutpool Industrial Co., Ltd., Ji’an 331500, China

Abstract

To achieve lightweight B4C-based composite ceramics with high electrical conductivities and hardness, B4C–TiB2 ceramics were fabricated by reactive spark plasma sintering (SPS) using B4C, TiC, and amorphous B as raw materials. During the sintering process, fine B4C–TiB2 composite particles are firstly in situ synthesized by the reaction between TiC and B. Then, large raw B4C particles tend to grow at the cost of small B4C particles. Finally, small TiB2 grains surround large B4C grains to create a three-dimensional interconnected intergranular TiB2 network, which is beneficial for an electro-conductive network and greatly improves the conductivity of the ceramics. The effect of the B4C particle size on the mechanical and electrical properties of the ceramics was investigated. When the particle size of initial B4C powders is 10.29 µm, the obtained B4C–15 vol% TiB2 composite ceramics exhibit an electrical conductivity as high as 2.79×104 S/m and a density as low as 2.782 g/cm3, together with excellent mechanical properties including flexural strength, Vickers hardness (HV), and fracture toughness (KIC) of 676 MPa, 28.89 GPa, and 5.28 MPa·m1/2, respectively.

Keywords: electrical conductivity, mechanical properties, B4C–TiB2, reactive sintering (RS), electro-conductive network

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Publication history

Received: 02 July 2022
Revised: 11 October 2022
Accepted: 14 October 2022
Published: 07 December 2022
Issue date: January 2023

Copyright

© The Author(s) 2022.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52072003 and 52002003), the University Synergy Innovation Program of Anhui Province (Nos. GXXT-2019-015 and GXXT-2020-072), and the "Double-Hundred Talent Plan" of Ji’an City in Jiangxi Province (2020).

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