What is Boron Carbide Used For?

Russian president demanded that exports of Russian gas to "unfriendly" countries be settled in rubles. The demand has raised concerns in Germany about possible supply disruptions and the impact on industry and households if utilities do not pay in robles. Europe gets about 40% of its gas from Russia. Last year, Europe imported about 155 billion cubic meters. Germany, Europe's largest economy, depends heavily on Russian gas.

The chief executive of Germany's E.ON said the German economy would face "significant damage, which should be avoided if possible" without Russian supplies. He also said it would take Germany three years to wean itself off Russian gas.  

In the event of a supply disruption, Germany's gas network regulator would prioritize home heating over industrial use, so energy-hungry manufacturers such as steelmakers would be the first to suffer, he said.

The volatile international situations will continue to affect the markets and prices of many commodities like the boron carbide powder.

What is Boron Carbide B4C?

Boron carbide (B4C) is an extremely hard boron-carbon ceramic and covalent material used in tank armor, bulletproof vests, engine damage powder, and many industrial applications. The Vickers hardness is greater than 30GPa, making it one of the hardest materials known, second only to CBN and diamond. 

Boron carbide is considered to be a robust material with extremely high hardness (Mohs scale of approximately 9.5 to 9.75), high neutron absorption cross-sections (i.e. good shielding against neutrons), and stability to ionizing radiation and most chemicals. Its Vickers hardness (38GPa), elastic modulus (460GPa), and fracture toughness (3.5MPa·m(1/2)) are close to those of diamond (1150GPa and 5.3MPa·m(1/2)). 

As of 2015, boron carbide is the third hardest substance known, after diamond and cubic boron nitride, earning it the nickname "black diamond".

Boron carbide is a semiconductor whose electronic properties are mainly hopping transport.  Band gaps depend on composition and degree of order. The band gap is estimated at 2.09 eV, and there are several middle-band gap states that complicate the photoluminescence spectrum. The material is usually p-type. 

What is Boron Carbide Used For? 

Boron carbide is used in refractories because of its high melting point and thermal stability; Because of its extremely strong abrasion resistance, it is used as a grinding powder and coating; High hardness, low density, and excellent ballistic performance; It is commonly used as a neutron radiation absorber in nuclear applications. In addition, boron carbide is a high-temperature semiconductor that can potentially be used for new electronic applications.

Specifically, boron carbide can be used as: 

The padlock 

Bulletproof deck for personal and vehicle 

Sandblasting nozzle 

High-pressure water jet cutting nozzle 

Scratch-resistant and wear-resistant coating 

Cutting tools and dies 

abrasive 

Metal matrix composites 

In the brake lining of a vehicle 

Neutron absorber in a nuclear reactor 

High energy fuel for solid fuel ramjets 

Is Boron Carbide the Hardest? 

Boron carbide has a Mohs hardness of between 9 and 10 and is one of the hardest synthetic substances known, second only to cubic boron nitride and diamond. 

Can Boron Carbide Cut Diamond? 

Due to its high hardness, boron carbide powder is used as an abrasive in polishing and grinding applications and also as a loose abrasive in cutting applications such as water jet cutting. It can also be used for dressing diamond tools.

Boron Carbide B4C Price

The price is influenced by many factors including the supply and demand in the market, industry trends, economic activity, market sentiment, and unexpected events.

If you are looking for the latest B4C price, you can send us your inquiry for a quote. (sales1@rboschco.com)

Boron Carbide B4C Supplier

RBOSCHCO is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12-year-experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and nanomaterials. The company export to many countries including the USA, Canada, Europe, UAE, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Turkey, Mexico, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Brazil, Chile, Dubai, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, etc.

As a leading nanotechnology development manufacturer, RBOSCHCO dominates the market. Our professional work team provides perfect solutions to help improve the efficiency of various industries, create value, and easily cope with various challenges.

If you are looking for B4C, please send an email. (sales1@rboschco.com)

Gas supplies have been in short supply because of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.  Combined with the situation that other renewable sources cannot produce enough electricity, electricity prices have soared in many parts all over the world. For this reason, I assume the supply and prices of the boron carbide powder would keep being influenced by the high energy prices.

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