Applications of boron carbide

Control of nuclear fission

Boron carbide can absorb a large number of neutrons without forming any radioactive isotopes, making it an ideal neutron absorber in nuclear power plants, where neutron absorbers primarily control the rate of nuclear fission. Boron carbide is mainly made into controllable rod shapes in nuclear reactors, but sometimes it is made into powder form to increase the surface area.

During the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, a frontline aviation regiment stationed in Totskoye, Russia, was completely transferred to the east of Chernobyl, with various helicopters from Mi-8 to Mi-26 immediately engaged in air transport tasks. After the boron carbide was exhausted, ordinary sand was then dropped. As the dropping progressed, flying became much easier. After the helicopters dropped nearly 2000 tons of boron carbide and sand, the engineers finally announced that the chain reaction in the reactor had stopped, and the total transport capacity of the helicopters reached 5000 tons.

Grinding materials

Since boron carbide is a solid that is harder than silicon carbide or tungsten carbide, it has long been used as a coarse sand grinding material. Due to its high melting point, it is not easy to cast into artificial products, but it can be processed into simple shapes by high-temperature melting of powder. It is used for grinding, polishing, drilling, and machining hard materials such as hard alloys and gemstones.

Coating materials

Boron carbide can also be used as a ceramic coating for warships and helicopters, being lightweight and capable of resisting penetration from armor-piercing projectiles, forming an integral protective layer.

Nozzles

In the arms industry, it can be used to manufacture gun nozzles. Boron carbide is extremely hard and wear-resistant, does not react with acids and bases, withstands high/low temperatures, and high pressure, with a density of ≥2.46g/cm3; microhardness of ≥3500kgf/mm2, bending strength of ≥400Mpa, and a melting point of 2450℃. Due to the above-mentioned wear-resistant and high-hardness characteristics of boron carbide nozzles, they will gradually replace known hard alloy/tungsten steel and nozzles made of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, and other materials.

Others

Boron carbide is also used in the manufacture of metal borides and in the smelting of sodium borate, boron alloys, and special welding.