Contribution of boundary non-stoichiometry to the lower-temperature plasticity in high-pressure sintered boron carbide.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37604800.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-40581-7 and PMC identifier 10442403.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The improvement of non-oxide ceramic plasticity while maintaining the high-temperature strength is a great challenge through the classical strategy, which generally includes decreasing grain size to several nanometers or adding ductile binder phase. Here, we report that the plasticity of fully dense boron carbide (B<sub>4</sub>C) is greatly enhanced due to the boundary non-stoichiometry induced by high-pressure sintering technology. The effect decreases the plastic deformation temperature of B<sub>4</sub>C by 200 °C compared to that of conventionally-sintered specimens. Promoted grain boundary diffusion is found to enhance grain boundary sliding, which dominate the lower-temperature plasticity. In addition, the as-produced specimen maintains extraordinary strength before the occurrence of plasticity. The study provides an efficient strategy by boundary chemical change to facilitate the plasticity of ceramic materials.