Fast Densification of B4C Ceramics with Al2O3 as a Sintering Aid by Spark Plasma Sintering

The densification behavior and mechanical properties of B4C by SPS at 1900 degrees C for 2 min with additions of Al2O3 UP to 10 wt.% were investigated. When the additional of 10 wt.%, the relative density was 99% and the hardness went to 33GPa. Sinterability was greatly improved by the addition of a small amount of Al2O3, and the SPS technology with high hearing rate is particularly attractive for prepare of poorly sinterable materials. The improvement was attributed to the enhanced mobility of elements through the Al2O3 near the melting temperature. As a result of this improvement in the density, mechanical properties, such as hardness, fracture toughness, increased remarkably.