Mechanical properties of injection molded B4C-C ceramics

Various mechanical properties of carbon-doped boron carbide ceramics, prepared by the fabrication route, injection molding/pressureless sintering/post-hot isostatic pressing (HIP) were investigated as a function of the sintering temperature and the carbon additive level used, An optimum combination of mechanical properties (flexural strength, fracture toughness, Young's modulus, Knoop's hardness) is thus obtained with 100% dense and very fine grained materials (mean grain size 1-4 mu m) which were sintered at temperatures from 2150 to 2175 degrees C and post-HIPed at 2050 degrees/200 MPa Ar, having an approximate final composition of 96 B4C-4C (wt%). (C) 1997 Academic Press.