One step reduction of Boric Acid to boron carbide nanoparticles

Boron carbide (B4C) nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by carbo-thermic reduction of Boric Acid (H3BO3). This method is relatively low temperature synthesis route. It can be used for large scale production of B4C. The synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential thermal analyzer (DTA) techniques. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of single phase B4C. SEM and TEM analysis confirmed that the particles are spherical in shape with an average particle size of 12 nm. DTA analysis shows that the phase is stable upto 900 °C and the material can be used for high temperature applications.