Property comparison of boron carbide and silicon carbide.
Property Unit SiC B4C
Density g/cm3 3.21 2.51
Melting Point ° C 2,760 2,450
Hardness Vickers 2,600 3,000
Compressive Strength MPa 2,200 2,800
Young’s Modulus GPa 410 450
Fracture Toughness K IC MPam 1/2 3.2 3.0
Electrical Resistivity ohm.m 10 3-104 10-103
Thermal Expansion Coefficient 10 -6 K -1 4.0 4.6
Thermal Conductivity Wm-1K-1 110 35
Thermal Shock Resistance – Good Poor
Temperature of Application (in Air) ° C Max 1,600 500
Source: Product Development with SiC and B4C Ceramics, P Feinle, H Knoch, 3 rd European Symposium on Engineering Ceramics, Ed. FL Riley, Elsevier, 1991