NIST Standard Reference Database 30
Last Update to Data Content: 2002
"Engineering Properties of Carbides," P.T.B. Shaffer, Engineered Materials Handbook, Vol. 4, pp. 804-811 (1991), edited by S.J. Schneider, Jr., published by ASM International.Language: English
Materials designated as "typical" are only representative of the general material classification and do not necessarily describe any particular material.
Material #1: Boron Carbide:
"The majority of commerical boron carbide is produced by reacting and fusing a mixture of boric oxide and carbon ...in an electric arc furnace. The product in the arc furnace consists essentially of a partially fused "slush" having the composition approximating that of B4C. ... The liquid in the arc furnace is solidified at a rate such that the solid and liquid do not reach an equilibrium. What happens is that the material left in the molten state becomes increasingly richer in carbon than in solid until, as the last liquid solidifies, its composition consists of that of a eutectic corresponding to a mixture of boron carbide and graphite. ... To date, all commercial boron carbide parts are produced by hot pressing or, in a few cases, by sintering followed by hot isostatic pressing. Typical hot pressing conditions of powder (<10 µm) are 2100 °C (3800 °F) at 35 MPa (5 ksi) for 30 min. Typical sintering and hot isostatic pressing of powder (<1 µm, 1 to 3 wt% C) consists of sintering at 2200 °C to 2250 °C (4000 to 4080°F) for 30 min at low pressure (10 Pa, or 0.075 torr) followed by hot isostatic pressing at 2000 °C (3630°F) and 200 MPa (29 ksi) in argon, for 20 min."
Material #2: Silicon Carbide:
"Commercial silicon carbide products are fabricated in one of three ways, depending on the requirements of the intended use. One method mixes the SiC powder with a second material such as resin, glass, silicon nitride, lay, or metal. This composite material is then treated to allow the second phase to develop a bond. Silicon carbide powder can also be mixed with carbon or silicon metal powder and formed into shapes that are reaction bonded. The carbon may react with silicon vapor to form a silicon carbide bond (self-bonded), or the silicon metal can react with nitrogen to form a silicon nitride bond. ...very fine silicon carbide powder (<1 µm average particle diameter (can) be densified and sintered by additions of boron carbide... (to make) high-density sintered silicon carbide... Self-bonded silicon carbide generally contains a quantity of free, unreacted silicon metal in the pores. ...sintered silicon carbide contains both boron and free carbon...."
Material #3: Tungsten Carbide:
"Tungsten and carbon form two simple compounds of interest (W2C) and tungsten monocarbide (WC). ... Of these two stables phases the monocarbide is the one of primary interest. It is the material on which the entire cemented carbide industry is based. Tungsten carbide parts, dies, and cutting tools are commmonly referred to as tungsten carbide, although they are composites in which the tungsten carbide grains are bonded to one another by a metallic phase (typically cobalt). ... There is a wide range of cemented carbide compositions."
Material #4: Titanium Carbide:
"Other interstitial carbides besides tungsten carbide show promise based on their refractory nature, high hardness, and comparatively low densities. ... Since the inception of ceramic technology, the dominant concept has been that of a material based on TiC as the primary hard and refractory constituent, with the bonding provided by any of a variety of lower-melting ductile metals or alloys (much the same as those used for cemented tungsten carbides)."
Typical values usually are representative of trends of values commonly found for a general class of materials and are not necessarily the best or most appropriate values for any particular material.
| Amount of Element ( formula units ) |
Element ( no unit ) |
|---|---|
| 4 | B |
| 1 | C |
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Bulk Modulus ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 254 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Compressive Strength ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 2.9 |
| Designation |
Temperature ( °C ) |
Axis |
Axis Length ( Å ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| -- | 23 | a | 5.60 |
| -- | 23 | c | 12.10 |
| Crystal Cell System |
|---|
| Hexagonal |
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Density ( g cm-3 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 2.51 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Elastic Modulus ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 445 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Flexural Strength ( MPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | -- | 375 |
| 650 | -- | 290 |
| 1100 | -- | 240 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Hardness ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Vickers | 36 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Melting Point Temperature ( °C ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 2450 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Poisson's Ratio ( no unit ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 0.19 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Shear Modulus ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 186 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Sound Velocity ( km/s ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Longitudinal | 14.5 |
| 23 | Shear | 8.6 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Specific Heat ( J kg-1 K-1 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 945 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Tensile Strength ( MPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 980 | -- | 155 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Thermal Conductivity ( W m-1 K-1 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | -- | 28 |
| 425 | -- | 83 |
| 975 | -- | 16 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Thermal Expansion ( 10-6 K-1 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23-500 | -- | 4.78 |
| 23-1000 | -- | 5.54 |
| 23-1500 | -- | 6.02 |
| 23-2000 | -- | 6.53 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Amount of Element ( formula units ) |
Element ( no unit ) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Si |
| 1 | C |
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Compressive Strength ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | sintered α | 4.6 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Designation |
Temperature ( °C ) |
Axis |
Axis Length ( Å ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3C | 23 | a | 4.358 |
| 2H | 23 | a | 3.0763 |
| 2H | 23 | c | 5.0480 |
| 6H | 23 | a | 3.0806 |
| 6H | 23 | c | 15.1173 |
| 15R | 23 | a | 3.082 |
| 15R | 23 | c | 60.49 |
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Density ( g cm-3 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | CVD | 3.19 |
| 23 | sintered α | 3.10 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Elastic Modulus ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | CVD | 455 |
| 23 | Hot pressed | 430 |
| 23 | Sintered α | 410 |
| 23 | ReactionBonded | 390 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Flexural Strength ( MPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Hot pressed | 700 ± 150 |
| 23 | CVD | 360 ± 100 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Fracture Toughness ( MPa m1/2 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 4.60 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Poisson's Ratio ( no unit ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | sintered α | 0.14 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Shear Modulus ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | ReactionBonded | 162 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Specific Heat ( J kg-1 K-1 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Sintered α | 670 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Thermal Conductivity ( W m-1 K-1 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Sintered α | 125.6 |
| 200 | Sintered α | 102.6 |
| 400 | Sintered α | 77.5 |
| 100 | Hot pressed | 78 |
| 1000 | Hot pressed | 36 |
| 100 | CVD | 13.7 |
| 1000 | CVD | 9.95 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Thermal Expansion ( 10-6 K-1 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23-1250 | CVD | 4.78 |
| 23-700 | Sintered α | 4.02 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Amount of Element ( formula units ) |
Element ( no unit ) |
|---|---|
| 1 | W |
| 1 | C |
| x | Co |
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Compressive Strength ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | 97WC-3Co | 5.86 |
| 23 | 94WC-6Co | 5.93 |
| 23 | 90WC-10Co | 5.17 |
| 23 | 84WC-16Co | 4.07 |
| 23 | 75WC-25Co | 3.10 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Designation |
Temperature ( °C ) |
Axis |
Axis Length ( Å ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| WC | 23 | a | 2.9063 |
| W2C | 23 | a | 3.00 |
| W2C | 23 | c | 4.730 |
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Density ( g cm-3 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | 97WC-3Co | 15.3 |
| 23 | 94WC-6Co | 15.0 |
| 23 | 90WC-10Co | 14.6 |
| 23 | 84WC-16Co | 13.9 |
| 23 | 75WC-25Co | 13.0 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Elastic Modulus ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | 97WC-3Co | 641 |
| 23 | 94WC-6Co | 614 |
| 23 | 90WC-10Co | 620 |
| 23 | 84WC-16Co | 524 |
| 23 | 75WC-25Co | 483 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Thermal Conductivity ( W m-1 K-1 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | 97WC-3Co | 121 |
| 23 | 75WC-25Co | 71 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Thermal Expansion ( 10-6 K-1 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23-200 | 97WC-3Co | 4.0 |
| 23-200 | 94WC-6Co | 4.3 |
| 23-1000 | 94WC-6Co | 5.9 |
| 23-200 | 75WC-25Co | 6.3 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commony found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Amount of Element ( formula units ) |
Element ( no unit ) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ti |
| 1 | C |
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Density ( g cm-3 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 4.94 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Elastic Modulus ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 451 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Hardness ( GPa ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 29 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Melting Point Temperature ( °C ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 3100 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.
| Temperature ( °C ) |
Type |
Thermal Expansion ( 10-6 K-1 ) |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | -- | 7.7 |
Data from methods designated as "typical" are only representative of trends of values commonly found and are not necessarily measured values.