The effect of microwave heating on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of reaction‐bonded boron carbide

Mathieu Dutto (1, 2) , Dominique Gœuriot (1) , Sébastien Saunier (1) , Sergio Sao‐joao (1) , Sylvain Marinel (3) , Nachum Frage (2) , Shmuel Hayun (2)

1 MPE-ENSMSE - Département Mécanique et Procédés d'Elaboration
2 BGU - Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
3 CRISMAT - Laboratoire de cristallographie et sciences des matériaux

Reaction-bonded boron carbide composites were fabricated by both microwave (under Ar/10% H2) and conventional heating (under vacuum or Ar/10% H2). Silicon carbide (SiC) formation occurred in all cases and was slightly favored in the case of microwave heating under Ar/H2. The resulting microstructures were influenced by the heating process and atmosphere; the SiC existed in the form of needles with conventional heating under vacuum. SiC small polygonal grains were present after microwave heating under Ar/H2. Both the atmosphere and the electromagnetic field influence the SiC morphology. Despite this difference, the hardness and toughness of composites obtained by both heating techniques were similar.

Mots clés: Boron carbide; Microwave; Reaction bonding

Domaines: Chimie; Matériaux

Mathieu Dutto, Dominique Gœuriot, Sébastien Saunier, Sergio Sao‐joao, Sylvain Marinel, et al.. The effect of microwave heating on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of reaction‐bonded boron carbide. International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, 2019, 17 (2), pp.751-760. ⟨10.1111/ijac.13379⟩. ⟨hal-02449276⟩