Boron carbide (B4C), also known as black diamond, has a molecular formula of B₄C, usually gray-black powder. It is one of the hardest materials known in armor, bulletproof vests and many industrial applications. Its Mohs hardness is 9.5.
It was a by-product of metal boride research in the 19th century and was not scientifically studied until 1930. It is made by reducing diboron trioxide with carbon in the boron carbide conduit electric furnace.Boron carbide can absorb a large
Because number of neutrons without forming any resonant isotope, so it is an ideal neutron absorber in the nuclear power generation field, and the neutron absorber mainly controls the rate of nuclear fission. In the field, controllable rods are mainly synthesized, but sometimes they are made into powder because of increasing particle size.
Used in wear-resistant materials, ceramic reinforcing phases, especially lightweight armor, reactor neutron absorbers, etc. Therefore, unlike diamond and cubic nitrogen chemical borax, boron carbide is easy to manufacture and low in cost, so it is more widely used and can replace expensive diamond in some places. It is commonly used in grinding, grinding, milling, etc.