Novel Pathway for the Combustion Synthesis and Consolidation of Boron Carbide.

A novel pathway for the magnesiothermic reduction of boron oxide and magnesium dodecaboride (MgB) in the presence of carbon by a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis method was proposed that was aimed at the direct preparation of boron carbide nanopowder. The combined utilization of two boron sources, boron oxide and MgB, allowed tailoring the overall caloric effect of the process, increasing the yield of the target product and lessening the laborious leaching process. In addition, it is an alternative way to utilize magnesium borides, which are inevitable side products at boron production.