Abundance of Boron Carbide
1. Crustal / Natural Abundance
Boron carbide () is a synthetic material with no naturally occurring boron carbide minerals in nature, so there is no such parameter as the crustal abundance of boron carbide.
Abundance of elemental boron in the Earth’s crust: approx. 10 ppm (0.001 wt%). Boron exists in the form of borax and borate minerals in the crust, rather than boron carbide.
2. Most Commonly Used in Nuclear Industry: Boron Isotope Abundance (most likely what you refer to)
Basic natural abundance of boron (default value for ordinary boron carbide)
- : 19.9 at% (atomic percent)
- : 80.1 at%
Ordinary abrasive-grade boron carbide features a natural baseline abundance of approximately 19.9%.
Enriched nuclear-grade boron carbide (specially for reactor control rods for neutron absorption)
is artificially enriched to higher concentrations, mainstream specifications are as follows:
- Conventional enrichment grade: abundance 90%~92% (dominant grade for reactor control rods)
- Ultra-high enrichment grade: 95%~97%, up to a maximum of 99% (for advanced radiation shielding and special reactors)
- Low-abundance product: retains natural abundance at 19.5%~20.1%, applied to general wear-resistant ceramics and bulletproof armor
3. Element Mass Fraction (composition abundance) of
Theoretical mass percentage for the formula :
- Total boron mass: 78.3 wt%
- Total carbon mass: 21.7 wt%
For industrial products, typical range: B: 76%~80%, C: 19%~22%, with trace impurities including free carbon and boron oxide.