Flash sintering feasibility study and localized densification in boron carbide

The feasibility of flash sintering boron carbide (B4C) was investigated using a direct current (DC) electric field across different electrodes, field strengths, and thermal profiles. Flash behavior was observed at furnace temperatures as low as 386 degrees C with field strengths of 68-278 V/cm, but only a small channel of the specimen was densified due to hot spot effects. Application of a 2.2 V/cm center dot s voltage ramp at a constant temperature of 550 degrees C caused uniform heating, but at temperatures too low for sintering. Scalable densification of B4C at low furnace temperatures with flash sintering is theorized to be possible by applying a higher current density through power supply or specimen modifications.