The Microstructure, Mechanical, and Friction-Wear Properties of Boron Carbide-Based Composites with TiB₂ and SiC...

The paper presents the influence of the temperature of the sintering process on the microstructure and selected properties of boron carbide/TiB₂/SiC composites obtained in situ by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The homogeneous mixture of boron carbide and 5% vol. Ti₅Si₃ micropowders were used as the initial material. Spark plasma sintering was conducted at 1700 °C, 1800 °C, and 1900 °C for 10 min after the initial pressing at 35 MPa. The heating and cooling rate was 200 °C/min. The obtained boron carbide composites were subjected to density measurement, an analysis of the chemical and phase composition, microstructure examination, and dry friction-wear tests in ball-on-disc geometry using WC as a counterpart material. The phase compositions of the produced composites differed from the composition of the initial powder mixture. Instead of titanium silicide, two new phases appeared: TiB₂ and SiC. The complete disappearance of Ti₅Si₃ was accompanied by a decrease in the boron carbide content of the stoichiometry formula B₁₃C₂ and an increase in the content of TiB₂, while the SiC content was almost constant. The relative density of the obtained boron carbide composites, as well as their hardness and resistance to wear, increased with the sintering temperature and TiB₂ content. Unfortunately, the reactions occurring during sintering did not allow us to obtain composites with high density and hardness. The relative density was 76-85.2% of the theoretical one, while the Vickers hardness was in the range of 4-12 GPa. The mechanism wear of boron carbide composites tested in friction contact with WC was abrasive. The volumetric wear rate (Wv) of composites decreased with increasing sintering temperature and TiB₂ content. The average value of coefficient of friction (CoF) was in the range of 0.54-0.61, i.e., it did not differ significantly from the value for B₄C sinters.