The dispersion of boron carbide powder in aqueous media

In the present work, the dispersion of boron carbide powder in aqueous media was studied in terms of surface treatment, surface characterization, the particle stability as well as rheological behavior, etc. Initially, the influence of the impurity and boron oxide from commercial B4C powder on the slurry dispersion was studied. The surface compositions, bonding and surface charge behavior of acid-treated B4C powder were investigated systematically. The positive effect of TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide) on the dispersion of as-treated B4C powder was studied and the content was optimized based on rheological measurement. Results showed that well dispersed B4C slurries could be developed with the solid loading of 55 vol.% using 0.18 wt% TMAH as the dispersant. The dispersion mechanism was also investigated before and after TMAH addition.