Production, properties, and erosion characteristics of B4C-Al composite materials

The paper examines the phase composition, structure, and erosion properties of B4C-Al composite materials produced by hot pulse pressing. It is shown that powder components actively interact to form new phases during pressing, TiB2 and AlB12 being the main phases. The erosion properties of the composites are greatly dependent on the composition of powder mixtures and compaction temperature. The structural features of the composites, namely the nanosized secondary phases at B4C grain boundaries, intensify the anode mass transfer to the titanium substrate and the formation of a protective coating up to 50 mu m thick. The microhardness of this coating is about 40 GPa and its wear resistance is threefold higher than that of the substrate material.