Boron Carbide, black crystal power, is one of the hardest materials known, ranking third behind diamond and cubic boron nitride. It is the hardest material produced in tonnage quantities. Originally discovered in mid 19th century as a byproduct in the production of metal borides, boron carbide was only studied in detail since 1930.



Applications

Abrasives

Due to its high hardness, boron carbide powder is used as an abrasive in polishing and lapping applications, and also as a loose abrasive in cutting applications such as water jet cutting. It can also be used for dressing diamond tools.

Advanced ceramics

Nozzle: The extreme hardness of boron carbide gives it excellent wear and abrasion resistance and as a consequence it finds application as nozzles for slurry pumping, grit blasting and in water jet cutters.

Ballistic Armour: Boron carbide, in conjunction with other materials also finds use as ballistic amour (including body or personal amour) where the combination of high hardness, high elastic modulus, and low density give the material an exceptionally high specific stopping power to defeat high velocity projectiles.

Other applications include ceramic tooling dies, precision toll parts

chemical applications

raw material: boron carbide as raw material for producing other boron containing materials

CVD: Chemical vapor deposition(CVD) of boron carbide produces films valued for their outstanding hardness, excellent mechanical, thermal and electrical properties

Solid fuel: HTPB/Boron carbide based propellants for ducted rockets

Refractory industry: an antioxidant additives in refractory materials.