| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1579392 | Materials Science and Engineering: A | 2010 | 5 Pages |
In order to improve the fracture toughness of B4C ceramics, B4C–TiB2 composite was prepared by hot pressing using B4C, C and TiCl4 as starting materials. The precursor powders of Ti(OH)4 and B4C were obtained using co-precipitation method. The phases, mechanical properties and microstructures of the B4C–TiB2 composite were investigated. The results showed that Ti(OH)4 almost converted into rutile TiO2 phase at 573 K for 1 h. The B4C–TiB2 composite with 43 mass% TiB2 showed the optimized mechanical properties. The optimum relative density, hardness, flexural strength and fracture toughness were 99.8%, 23.6 GPa, 506 MPa and 9.4 MPa m1/2, respectively. A number of twins and nanosecond-phase particles were observed in the B4C–TiB2 composite.
Research highlights▶ In the present study, in situ synthesized B4C–TiB2 composite was prepared by hot pressing. The fracture toughness of B4C ceramics was significantly improved. The microstructure of the composite was analyzed in detail. The relationship between the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the composite was described in the text.
