Mechanical properties of B4C–SiC–TiB2–graphite composites fabricated by reactive hot pressing using B4C–TiC–SiC powder mixture
摘要
B4C–TiB2–SiC–graphite composites with high relative densities were fabricated by reactive hot pressing at 2000 °C using B4C–TiC–SiC powder mixtures with various compositions. TiB2 and graphite were in-situ synthesized during the reactive hot pressing of B4C–TiC–SiC powder mixtures. Lamellar graphite phases were synthesized at the B4C grain boundaries and B4C/TiB2 interface. The grain size of B4C gradually decreased with increasing TiB2/graphite and SiC contents. With the increases in the TiB2/graphite and SiC contents in the B4C composites, the flexural strength was increased from 484.8 ± 14 to 597 ± 9 MPa, while the fracture toughness was increased from 4.77 ± 0.24 to 6.82 ± 0.51 MPa·m1/2. The Vickers hardness was preserved to some extent above 30 GPa regardless of the amounts of reinforced TiB2, SiC, and graphite in the B4C composites.