Abstract: A method of forming a sintered boron carbide body includes washing boron carbide powder with essentially pure water at an elevated temperature to generate low oxygen boron carbide powder, mixing a sintering aid and a pressing aid with the low oxygen boron carbide powder to form a green mixture, and shaping the green mixture into a green boron carbide body. The method can include mixing titanium carbide powder having an average particle diameter in a range of between about 5 nm and about 100 nm with the low oxygen boron carbide powder. The method can further include sintering the green boron carbide body, and hot isostatic pressing the sintered body, to a density greater than about 98.5% of the theoretical density (TD) of boron carbide. Alternatively, the method can include sintering the shaped boron carbide green body at a temperature greater than about 2,200° C., to thereby form a eutectic liquid solid solution of B4C/SiC, forming a sintered boron carbide body with a density greater than about 98% TD.

Abstract: A method of forming a silicon carbide sintered body includes mixing silicon carbide powder with a boron additive and carbon to form a green mixture and shaping the green mixture into a green body, and coating the green body with boron nitride. The method further includes glass encapsulating the green body and hot isostatic pressing the glass encapsulated green body at a temperature in a range of between about 1900° C. and about 2400° C. for a time period in a range of between about one hour and about three hours, to thereby form a silicon carbide sintered body having a density at least 97% of the theoretical density of silicon carbide.

Abstract: In a method of preparing a boron carbide material, boron carbide powder is washed with essentially pure water at an elevated temperature to generate washed boron carbide powder. The washed boron carbide powder is combined with a sintering aid. The mixture of the boron carbide powder and the sintering aid is pressed to form a shaped material, and the shaped material is sintered. A sintered boron carbide material comprises a boron carbide component that includes boron carbide, elemental carbon, and not more than about 0.6 wt % of oxygen on the basis of the total weight of the boron carbide component. The sintered boron carbide material has a density of at least about 99% of the theoretical density. Another sintered boron carbide material comprises a boron carbide component that includes boron carbide, silicon carbide, elemental carbon, and not more than about 0.3 wt % oxygen on the basis of the total weight of the boron carbide component, and has a density of at least about 97% of the theoretical density.

Abstract: In a method of preparing a boron carbide material, boron carbide powder is washed with essentially pure water at an elevated temperature to generate washed boron carbide powder. The washed boron carbide powder is combined with a sintering aid. The mixture of the boron carbide powder and the sintering aid is pressed to form a shaped material, and the shaped material is sintered. A sintered boron carbide material comprises a boron carbide component that includes boron carbide, elemental carbon, and not more than about 0.6 wt % of oxygen on the basis of the total weight of the boron carbide component. The sintered boron carbide material has a density of at least about 99% of the theoretical density. Another sintered boron carbide material comprises a boron carbide component that includes boron carbide, silicon carbide, elemental carbon, and not more than about 0.3 wt % oxygen on the basis of the total weight of the boron carbide component, and has a density of at least about 97% of the theoretical density.

Abstract: In a method of preparing a boron carbide material, boron carbide powder is washed with essentially pure water at an elevated temperature to generate washed boron carbide powder. The washed boron carbide powder is combined with a sintering aid. The mixture of the boron carbide powder and the sintering aid is pressed to form a shaped material, and the shaped material is sintered. A sintered boron carbide material comprises a boron carbide component that includes boron carbide, elemental carbon, and not more than about 0.6 wt % of oxygen on the basis of the total weight of the boron carbide component. The sintered boron carbide material has a density of at least about 99% of the theoretical density. Another sintered boron carbide material comprises a boron carbide component that includes boron carbide, silicon carbide, elemental carbon, and not more than about 0.3 wt % oxygen on the basis of the total weight of the boron carbide component, and has a density of at least about 97% of the theoretical density.