Boron Content on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Amorphous Boron Carbide by Chemical Vapor Deposition

doi:10.15541/jim20170069

Abstract

Abstract:

Boron carbide coatings B_xC_1-_x (x=0.05, 0.10, 0.16, 0.30, 0.50) were prepared by low pressure chemical vapor deposition technique from BCl₃-C₃H₆-H₂ precursor mixtures. The effects of boron content on the microstructure and mechanical behaviors of the B_xC_1-_x were investigated. The B_0.1C_0.9 coating displayed a graphite-like structure of high crystallinity where a large fraction of boron atoms exists as atomic substituent in the carbon layers. As boron content increased, the structure tended to be amorphous, because of the formation of increasingly numbers of B-C bonds. The B_0.1C_0.9 coating showed a low hardness and elastic modulus, and its mechanical behavior was close to that of an elastic soft film. The H and E of B_xC_1-_x coatings were significantly enhanced at high boron content level, because of the formation of increasing amounts boron carbide in them.

Key words: boron carbide, microstructure, mechanical properties, low pressure chemical vapor deposition

CLC Number:

TQ174

QIAO Zhen-Jie, GAO Le, FENG Qian, HU Jian-Bao, DONG Shao-Ming, MA Liang-Lai. Boron Content on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Amorphous Boron Carbide by Chemical Vapor Deposition[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2017, 32(11): 1228-1232.

Figures/Tables 7

Table 1 Boron contents of the BxC1-x coatings

B_xC_1-_x	I	II	III	IV	V
B/C	1 : 5	1 : 3	1 : 1	3 : 1	5 : 1
α (%)	37.5	50.0	75.0	90.0	93.8
B (at%)	4.9	9.6	16.3	30.5	49.5
x	0.05	0.10	0.16	0.31	0.50

Fig. 1 XRD patterns of BxC1-x coatings

Fig. 2 B1s core level spectra and fitting curves of the BxC1-x coatings

Table 2 Proportions of B1s components for the BxC1-x coatings

B_xC_1-_x	I	II	III	IV	V
a B-C in B₄C/%	26.7	23.0	9.5	50.4	75.1
b B-sub-C/%	37.0	40.2	46.3	32.0	24.9
c BC₂O/%	19.0	18.7	25.8	13.8	0
d BCO₂/%	10.7	10.8	13.3	3.8	0
e B₂O₃/%	7.3	7.3	5.2	0	0

Fig. 3 Nanostructures of BxC1-x coatings (a) Coating II; (b) Coating III; (c) Coating IV; (d) Coating V

Fig. 4 Load-displacement curves of the coatings (a) Coating II; (b) Coating III; (c) Coating IV; (d) Coating V

Table 3 Elastic modulus and hardness for the BxC1-x coatings

B_xC_1-_x	II	III	IV	V
E/GPa	46.0 ± 4.6	100.0 ± 13.3	161.2 ± 34.5	415.0 ± 41.7
H/GPa	5.66 ± 0.84	10.44 ± 2.49	15.29 ± 5.02	39.77±4.9.0

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