Boron Carbide Powders
Boron Carbide Powder for Sapphire Slicing and Polishing Applications - Grade B4C-S-WSP
Boron Carbide is a high performance abrasive material with chemical and physical properties similar to diamonds, such as, chemical resistance and hardness. Boron carbide’s extra hardness gives it the nickname “Black Diamond” (It ranks third after diamond and boron nitride) and is one of the leading grinding materials.
Application Specifics - Wire saw slicing:
Our B4C-SWS boron carbide powder specifically developed to deliver the optimum performance and excellent process control in wire saw slicing of the Sapphire products. Starting with chemistry of the raw materials and continue through every manufacturing step: furnacing, crushing, chemical cleansing, crushing (with grain shaping emphasis), and multi-stage grading process every effort is made to insure proper powder performance.
| • Appearance (dry state): | Color | Black | |||
| • Chemical composition: | Chemical formula: | B4C Application | |||
| Grade | Abrasive | Ceramic | Refractory | Nuclear | |
| B + C min | 98 | 94 | |||
| B (Boron) min. | 74 | 74 | 77 | ||
| C (Carbon) max. | 24 | 22 | 17 | ||
| B2O3 | 0.50 | 1.0 | |||
| Fe (Iron) max. | 0.2 | 0.5 | |||
| Si (Silicon) | - | 0.3 | |||
| N (Nitrogen) | - | 0.5 | |||
| • Physical data: | |||||
| Knoop hardness (0.1) | 3000 | ||||
| Mohs hardness | < 9.5 Note: Diamond’s Mohs hardness is 10 | ||||
| Specific gravity: | 2.51 | ||||
| Melting point: | 2723 °C | ||||
| Structure: | Monocrystalline | ||||
Availability of particle sizes
Boron carbide grit sizes correspond to the specifications of the
Federation of European Producers of Abrasive Products (FEPA):
| F100 (150/106 mkm) | F220 (75/45 mkm) | F800 (14/2 mkm) | |
| F120 (125/90 mkm) | F240 (70/28 mkm) | F1000 (10/1 mkm) | |
| F150 (106/63 mkm) | F280 (59/22 mkm) | F500 (25/5 mkm) | F1200 (7/1 mkm) |
| F180 (90/53 mkm) | F320 (49/16.5 mkm) | F600 (19/3 mkm) | F1500 (<5 mkm) |
Other sizes in FEPA and USA Mesh System are available on request.
Standard packaging in 100 lb (30 gal.) fiber drums Custom packaging is available on request.
Standard Products and Applications
Our standard Nuclear Grade powders for various applications are shown below:
| UKA Grade | Typical FEPA Grade | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|
| B4C-SWS | F360 (40/12 mkm) or F400 (32/8 mkm), | Wire saw slicing |
| B4C-SP | F400 (32/8 mkm), | Lapping |
| Note: | 1. Custom products are available on request. |
| 2.Standard packaging in 100 lb (30 gal.) fiber drums. Custom packaging is available on request. |