Boron carbide is a covalently bonded solid with a high melting point 2427°C outstanding hardness Vickers 3770 kg mm2 good mechanical properties and low specific gravity 2 52 g cm2 making it ideal for use in lightweight armours
Boron Carbide: A black solid, B4C,soluble only in fused alkali; it is extremelyhard, over 9? on Mohs’scale; rhombohedral; r.d. 2.52; m.p.2350°C; b.p. >3500°C. Boron carbideis manufactured by the reduction ofboric oxide with petroleum coke inan electric furnace. It is used largelyas an abrasive, but objects can also be fabricated using high-temperaturepowder metallurgy. Boron nitride isalso used as a neutron absorber becauseof its high proportion ofboron–10.
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