Oxidation Characteristics of Boron Carbide

The oxidation characteristics of boron carbide during sintering at 400~800℃ in air wereinvestigated. The phase structure and surface morphology of oxidized boron carbide were analyzedand observed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope, respectively. The resultsshow that the oxidation of boron carbide begins at about 600℃. After oxidized, the boron carbidepartially transformed into amorphous boron oxide. The oxidization process is a thermally activatedprocess, whose activation energy Q=17.17kJ/mol.