Flash Sintering of Boron Carbide (B4C)

Abstract

Flash sintering of boron carbide (B4C) with DC and AC currents across a range of field strengths, temperatures, specimen sizes, and electrodes was investigated. Fully dense B4C was obtained by flash sintering at furnace temperatures as low as 370 deg C, but only in a small portion of the specimen volume due to current localization. Application of an isothermal voltage or current ramp at temperatures of 550 or 1100 deg C prevented current localization, but the resultant lower power density was insufficient to raise the specimen temperature high enough to obtain fully dense specimens. Scalable densification of B4C at low furnace temperatures with flash sintering is hypothesized to be possible with a higher current power supply or by thermally isolating the specimen to reduce energy loss.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2020
Accession Number
AD1111508

Entities

People

  • Andrew Rosenberger
  • Aubrey L. Fry
  • Ray Brennan
  • Selva Vennila-raju

Organizations

  • United States Army Combat Capabilities Development Command

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Boron Carbides
  • Carbides
  • Ceramic Materials
  • Conductivity
  • Current Density
  • Data Analysis
  • Direct Current
  • Electric Current
  • Electric Fields
  • Electrical Conductivity
  • Electromagnetic Fields
  • Electron Microscopy
  • Energy
  • Experimental Design
  • High Temperature
  • Materials
  • Materials Processing
  • Measurement
  • Mechanical Properties
  • Military Research
  • Photographs
  • Power Measurement
  • Power Supplies
  • Resistance
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy
  • Silicon Carbide
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Thermal Conductivity
  • Voltage

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Oncology (Cancer Research).
  • Reinforced Composite Materials