Boron Carbide (B4C)
Boron carbide (B4C) is one of the hardest synthetic materials known to man; inferior to only cubic boron nitride (cBN) and diamond. This imparts exceptional wear- and abrasion-resistant properties, enabling manufacturers to rise to unique challenges of some of the most demanding application areas on earth.
Boron Carbide: Grades, Formats & Bonding Types
Saint-Gobain is one of the foremost boron carbide suppliers worldwide. Our B4C solutions are available exclusively in the hot-pressed and sintered condition, which yields an extremely high-performance boron carbide ceramic with nominal densities of 2.50 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3) and a Knoop hardness value of 2800 kilograms per millimeter squared (kg/mm2). Owing to these exceptional mechanical properties, boron carbide is often utilized in industries requiring high wear resistance and fracture toughness.
Saint-Gobain, with unrivaled experience in the generation of fine ceramics for a limitless range of market sectors, routinely supplies high-purity boron carbide for a range of challenging market sectors. Examples include:
- Armor Coatings
- Neutron Shielding
- Sandblasting
- Water Jet Cutting
Saint-Gobain supplies boron carbide-based technical ceramics and refractories under the Norbide® product range, satisfying the needs of customers in a range of end-use environments.
- Abrasive Materials
- Pumps
- Jet Cutters
- Ballistic Armor Tiles
- Nozzles
- Padlocks
- Dressing/Forming Sticks
- High Hardness
- High Chemical Resistance
- Nuclear Properties
- Low Density
- Insolubility
- High Boiling Point
- High Melting Point
