Structure and mechanical properties of boron-rich boron carbides

A series of boron-rich boron carbides are investigated to explore the effect of boron/carbon ratios on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the complex material. It has been found that excess boron substitution gives rise to expanded lattice constants, orientational asymmetry of the chain structure and distortion of the icosahedra of rhombohedra B₄C units in comparison with conventional carbon-rich boron carbides. Microstructure characterization reveals a high density of stacking faults and growth twins in boron-rich boron carbides. Nanoindentation measurements demonstrate that the hardness and modulus of boron-rich boron carbides decrease with the increase of boron content while the B_10.2C sample with the highest boron substitution shows relatively high hardness and modulus. This study suggests that the structure of single-phase covalent materials could be tailored by self-alloying for improved mechanical properties.