High Temperature Thermal Insulation System for Millimeter Wave Sintering of B4C

Abstract:Boron carbide (B4C) is one of advanced materials and is being used in a wide rage of applications. The unique feature of this material is its large neutron-absorbing cross-section. Some of its most prominent applications are controlling rods in nuclear reactors and radiation protection. 24 GHz microwave processing for B4C ceramics were performed under flowing argon gas using the sintering system. Sintering at the high temperature (up to 2200°C) was achieved using thermal insulation system consists of fiber-board, boron nitride powder, and boron nitride case. The sintered samples were achieved 90 % of theoretical.