Pressureless sintering of zirconium diboride with carbon and boron carbide nanopowder

Zirconium diboride ceramics with and without carbon boron carbide nanopowder additives were prepared by ball milling ZrB2 grinding media pressureless sintering. Additions of up to 1 wt% nano-B4C 0.5 C made the powder. The materials then sintered between 1800 2300 °C for 90 360 min in an Ar/10H2 atmosphere. After sintering at 2200 min, densities ranged from 88.3 90.7% 0–1.0% addition. Carbon additions 0 1.0 resulted ranging 90.9 91.9% after 2100 min. Grain size 16.6 21.7 μm content increasing wt%, °C. For C, a decrease grain 25.4 18.5 μm. achieved this study lower than previous studies that used WC-6Co media, presumably due absence WC Co can also act as aids.