Volume 89, Issue 5 p. 1544-1550

Pressureless Densification of Zirconium Diboride with Boron Carbide Additions

S. C. Zhang,

Corresponding Author

S. C. Zhang

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Missouri 65409

^*Member, American Ceramic Society.

^†Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author

G. E. Hilmas,

G. E. Hilmas

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Missouri 65409

^*Member, American Ceramic Society.

Search for more papers by this author

W. G. Fahrenholtz,

W. G. Fahrenholtz

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Missouri 65409

^*Member, American Ceramic Society.

Search for more papers by this author

S. C. Zhang,

Corresponding Author

S. C. Zhang

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Missouri 65409

^*Member, American Ceramic Society.

^†Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author

G. E. Hilmas,

G. E. Hilmas

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Missouri 65409

^*Member, American Ceramic Society.

Search for more papers by this author

W. G. Fahrenholtz,

W. G. Fahrenholtz

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Missouri 65409

^*Member, American Ceramic Society.

Search for more papers by this author

First published: 04 May 2006

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1551-2916.2006.00949.x

Citations: 303

W. Mullins—contributing editor

This work was funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory on contract number FA8650-04-C-5704 through the Center for Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies at the University of Missouri-Rolla.

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Abstract

Zirconium diboride (ZrB₂) was densified (>98% relative density) at temperatures as low as 1850°C by pressureless sintering. Sintering was activated by removing oxide impurities (B₂O₃ and ZrO₂) from particle surfaces. Boron oxide had a high vapor pressure and was removed during heating under a mild vacuum (∼150 mTorr). Zirconia was more persistent and had to be removed by chemical reaction. Both WC and B₄C were evaluated as additives to facilitate the removal of ZrO₂. Reactions were proposed based on thermodynamic analysis and then confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis of reacted powder mixtures. After the preliminary powder studies, densification was studied using either as-received ZrB₂ (surface area ∼1 m²/g) or attrition-milled ZrB₂ (surface area ∼7.5 m²/g) with WC and/or B₄C as a sintering aid. ZrB₂ containing only WC could be sintered to ∼95% relative density in 4 h at 2050°C under vacuum. In contrast, the addition of B₄C allowed for sintering to >98% relative density in 1 h at 1850°C under vacuum.

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Volume89, Issue5

May 2006

Pages 1544-1550

Pressureless Densification of Zirconium Diboride with Boron Carbide Additions

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