Research status and development prospect of B₄C

B₄C has excellent properties such as high hardness, good wear resistance, high thermal conductivity, good neutron absorption performance and stable chemical properties. It is widely used in military, nuclear, engineering and other fields. The common preparation methods include carbothermal reduction, self-propagating high-temperature synthesis, chemical vapor deposition, precursor cracking and solvothermal methods. The unique crystal structure makes the densification and sintering of B₄C powder very difficult. Adding additives can effectively promote the compact sintering process and improve the ceramic properties. In this paper, the preparation and sintering of B₄C are reviewed, and the application prospects of B₄C are prospected.