Boron carbide (boron carbide), alias black diamond, formula of B4C, usually colored powder.Is one of the hardest three known materials (the other two for diamond and cubic boron nitride), used for tanks armor, bulletproof garment and many industrial products should be.Its mohs hardness is 9.3.
It in the 19th century as a by-product of metal boride study found, until the 1930 s by scientific research.Boron carbide can be used in electric furnace carbon boron trioxide.
Boron carbide can absorb a large number of neutrons and will not form any radioactive isotope, so it is in the field of nuclear power it is ideal neutron absorber, and neutron absorber mainly control the rate of nuclear fission.Boron carbide in nuclear reactor field is mainly to make control rod, but sometimes because of to increase the surface area and make it into powder.
Because of the low density, good strength, high temperature stability and chemical stability characteristics.In the wear-resistant materials, ceramic reinforced phase, especially in light armor, reactor neutron absorber, etc.In addition, compared with diamond and cubic boron nitride, boron carbide easy manufacturing, low cost, and more widely used, in some places can get expensive diamond, common application in grinding, grinding, drilling, etc.

Boron carbide is suitable for all kinds of hard alloy, precision components, such as cutting tool, cutting tool, mould, etc. The grinding, grinding, drilling, polishing, and refractory materials, high temperature resistant material, wear-resistant electrode, making metal boride, boron alloy, engineering ceramics, boron steel manufacturing such as main raw materials, has been applied in the military field in recent years and space technology, is an indispensable material industry at present.The chemicals pottery, antifriction tool manufacturing.
Boron carbide can be as warships and a helicopter of ceramic coating, its light weight and resistance of penetrator penetrating hot-pressing coating as a whole layer of protection ability.
In the arms industry can be used for manufacturing guns nozzle.