LAUSR

Abstract B4C–TiB2 ceramic composites were fabricated by a two-step method. First, B4C–TiB2 composite powders were synthesized from TiC–B powder mixtures at 1400 ℃, then mixed with commercial B4C powders by ball milling and the B4C–TiB2 ceramic composites were prepared by hot pressing at 1950 ℃. This two-step method not only effectively refined TiB2 grains, but also allowed the composition of the composites to be freely designed. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. The results showed that the B4C–TiB2 ceramic composite with a 10 wt% TiB2 content obtained the ideal comprehensive performance, with a volume density, Vickers hardness, bending strength, and fracture toughness of 2.61 g/cm3, 35.3 GPa, 708 MPa, and 5.82 MPa m1/2, respectively. The advantages of the in-situ reaction process were fully exerted by the two-step method, which made a remarkable contribution to the excellent properties of B4C–TiB2 ceramic composites.