This section provides an overview for boron carbide as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 15 boron carbide manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked boron carbide companies as of November, 2024: 1.BORTECHNIC, 2.American Elements, 3.Stanford Advanced Materials.
Table of Contents
Boron carbide, a compound of boron and carbon with the chemical formula B4C, is a grayish-black powder known for its exceptional hardness—second only to diamond on the modified Mohs scale—and excellent wear resistance. This material is notable for its chemical stability, being resistant to attack by both acids and alkalis.
Due to its superior hardness and wear resistance, boron carbide is utilized in various applications requiring durability. It is commonly found in cutting tools, abrasives, cermets, mortars, and bulletproof materials. Its high electrical insulation and thermal conductivity make it suitable for use in high-temperature industrial environments, including in electronic components and hard disk heads. Additionally, its high neutron absorption capacity, thanks to the natural abundance of boron-10, allows its use in nuclear reactors for fission reaction control and neutron shielding.
With a molecular weight of 55.25, a density of 2.51, and a melting point of 2350℃, boron carbide boasts a high melting point, low specific gravity, and remarkable heat and chemical resistance. It begins to oxidize at 570℃ and reacts with chlorine at high temperatures to form boron trichloride, although it is generally resistant to acids and alkalis except when exposed to alkali fusion or hydrofluoric acid.
The rhombohedral crystal structure of boron carbide features three carbon atoms on the diagonal of a unit lattice, with boron atoms forming an icosahedron at each vertex. This structure allows for the substitution of carbon with boron, affecting the material's properties minimally due to the unchanged crystal backbone.
Available in both bulk and powder forms, boron carbide is processed into various ceramic products such as plates, nozzles, and seals, utilized in bulletproofing, sandblasting, and mechanical sealing. Its particulate form serves as an abrasive, antioxidant for refractory materials, and a sintering aid for silicon carbide, with applications determined by particle size uniformity.
Industrially, boron carbide is synthesized by heating a mixture of boron oxide and carbon in an electric furnace. This thermal carbon reduction method uses boric acid or boron oxide and activated carbon or petroleum coke, offering a cost-effective and safe mass synthesis approach. Alternative methods include direct boron and carbon reaction, synthesis from composite carbides using TiO2-SiO2-B2O3 glass, and a low-temperature synthesis involving boric anhydride or borax, magnesium, and carbon.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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American Elements was founded in 1997 in California and currently has research and production facilities in Utah, Mexico, China, and the United Kingdom. AE manufactures and distributes advanced materials from a catalog of over 30,000 products for bulk industrial use as well as small scale laboratory use. AE also provides testing and analyses services including spectroscopy along with structural, thermal, and electrical analyses. AE holds sustainable development as a core corporate value and is committed to work to protect the health of the environment.
3M Company was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. 3M provides diversified technology services globally. 3M operates through four segments: Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics, Health Care, and Consumer. The Safety and Industrial segment offerings include industrial abrasives, masking, and natural and color-coated mineral granules for shingles. The Transportation and Electronics segment offerings include ceramic solutions, light management films, and electronics assembly solutions. The Healthcare segment offerings include wound care, dentistry and orthodontia solutions, and filtration and purification systems. The Consumer segment offerings include consumer bandages, picture hanging, and stationery products.
Stanford Advanced Materials was established in 1994 in Lake Forest, California to provide rare-earth products for research and development purposes. Stanford Advanced Materials serves many industries ranging from automotive to fashion to energy to research to sports to textiles. Stanford Advanced Materials manufactures and distributes purified metals, ceramics, composite materials including strips, plates, rods, wires, and bars, as well as laboratory equipment and optical equipment including crystals, lenses, splitters, and windows.
San Jose Delta is a processor of beryllium oxide, and a manufacturer of alumina ceramic materials that was established in 1971 in Santa Clara, California, USA. The company primarily produces aluminum nitride for thermal conductivity or electrical insulation, quartz, and beryllium oxide for semiconductor parts or radio equipment. It also offers products made from high purity alumina oxide, including plates, bars, and rods. The company is ISO 9001:2015-certified, and chiefly serves clients in the industrial processing and manufacturing sectors.
Washington Mills, established in 1868 with headquarters in North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA, is a manufacturer and distributor of abrasive grain and fused mineral products. Their products cater to industries such as aerospace, automotive, and construction, offering abrasive grain for cutting, grinding, and polishing materials like metal, wood, and plastics. Their fused mineral products find applications in refractory linings, abrasive wheels, and polishing compounds. Additionally, Washington Mills produces various other abrasive grain and fused mineral products, including silicon carbide, boron carbide, and alumina zirconia.
BORTECHNIC was founded in 2015 and is a developer and manufacturer of boron carbide products headquartered in Bursa, Turkey. The company specializes in the design and production of custom compact electric arc furnaces for B4C production, as well as boron carbide powder and carbide alloys for high-tech composite materials and engineering ceramics. It also offers silicon nitride and silicon carbide products utilized in high-temperature applications, such as gas turbines, car engine parts, bearings, metalworking, and cutting tools. BORTECHNIC is an exclusive marketing partner of BHUKHANVALA INDUSTRIES Pvt. Ltd., a pioneer manufacturer of boron carbide.
SHENZHEN BBIEN TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD, founded in 2000, is a manufacturer of assembly materials for the electronic and microelectronic industries based in Guangdong, China. The company offers high-tech soldering materials, traditional soldering chemicals, bar and wire solder, and paste products. Its product list covers pure tin solder bars, tube packing solder wire, cartridge lead-free solder paste, ultra micro solder powder, red glue adhesives, and other chemical mixtures for the soldering sector. The company is ISO-9001 certified. It has global facilities in China, Russia, North and South America, Europe, and Asia, serving customers in 80 countries worldwide.
Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions, established in 1963, is a manufacturer of tapes, including adhesive, bonding, gaskets, and spacer tapes targeting the automotive, energy, building & construction, industrial, and electrical markets. Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions offer custom solutions, with 139 projects opened in the last twelve months and three new projects each week. The company in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, has gasketing foams that eliminate the sticky problems that come with sealants, elastomeric foam tapes are also available with or without adhesive.
Xiamen Wintrustek Advanced Materials Co., Ltd., founded in 2014 and headquartered in Xiamen, China, is a manufacturer of technical ceramics. The company's products include Boron Nitride Ceramic Crucible Boxes, Customized Macor Ceramic Isolators, and High-Strength Silicon Nitride Si3N4 Ceramic Extrusion Dies. These products are used for various applications in the power metallurgy, oil and gas, and automotive industries. It also provides solutions such as bullet-proof ceramic plates for bullet-proof vests and zirconia ceramic grinding balls.
Atlantic Equipment Engineers was founded in 1963 and headquartered in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, primarily serving the space program. Today, AEE also serves pharmaceutical, automotive, manufacturing, , solar, and water treatment industries. AEE products include 3D printing & additive manufacturing, high purity metal powders & compounds, rare earth metals & oxides, and custom allows. In addition to these, AEE offers blanket delivery service, analytical services, custom alloys, and sputtering system supplies.
Advanced Ceramic Materials, established in 1996, is a supplier based in the United States, specializing in providing quality ceramic materials and components for various industries. Advanced Ceramic Materials has been at the forefront of offering a wide range of ceramic products tailored to meet the unique needs of industries such as aerospace, electronics, energy, and medical. The company provides advanced ceramics that excel in performance, durability, and thermal resistance. From ceramic substrates and components to crucibles and tubes, the diverse product portfolio is designed to support cutting-edge applications.
Luoyang HongFeng Abrasives Co., Ltd. was founded in 2002 in Luoyang, Henan, China, as a manufacturer and distributor of abrasives, refractory materials, blasting media, and superabrasives. The company's product line includes sandblasting garnet, green silicon carbide, boron carbide abrasive, brown fused alumina, and white fused alumina, among others. The materials are essential for manufacturing portable wheels, cut-off wheels, resin-bonded grinding discs, sanding belts, and for enhancing wear resistance in wooden flooring and paint coatings. Additionally, the products are used for polishing non-metal materials. The company serves various industries, including metals, minerals, chemicals, tool builders, research, and glass.
Mino Ceramic Co. Ltd., a company founded in 1918 and headquartered in Gifu, Japan, is a manufacturer and supplier specializing in ceramics. The company's product portfolio includes shaped refractories, batch furnaces, and the Toughcon series. These products find applications in various sectors, including cement manufacturing, renewable energy production, and iron and steel production. The company maintains ISO 9001 certification for its quality management system. Additionally, it offers services including technical support, installation assistance, and product customization upon request.
Founded in 1981, Central Drug House Ltd. serves the scientific community via manufacturing and marketing a library of over 9,000 products to laboratory fine chemicals and dehydrated culture media with emphasis on purity and service. Examples are acids & bases, adsorbents, disinfectants, indicator papers, oils, and solvents. CDH provides bio chemicals, research chemicals, laboratory reagents, various solvents, stains & indicators, and dehydrated culture media. CDH is ISO 9001 certified and CDHs’ products are in compliance with specifications of IP, BP, USP, and EP standards.
Xi’an Functional Material Group Co., LTD (FM) was founded in 2002 and headquartered in Xi’an, China. FM specializes in high purity film coating materials and inorganic compound powder materials. FM’s product lineup includes two segments, film coating materials and inorganic compound powder. Film coating materials emphasizes metal sputtering targets, metal alloy sputtering targets, ceramic sputtering targets, evaporation materials, as well as other materials. Inorganic compound powder unit includes high purity metal materials, rare earth materials, chalcogenide materials, halides, nitrides, bodies, silicate materials, and other advanced materials.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | BORTECHNIC |
25.2%
|
2 | American Elements |
12.6%
|
3 | Stanford Advanced Materials |
9.2%
|
4 | Advanced Ceramic Materials |
8.8%
|
5 | Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions |
7.1%
|
6 | Washington Mills |
6.5%
|
7 | San Jose Delta |
5.4%
|
8 | Central Drug House |
4.4%
|
9 | SHENZHEN BBIEN TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD |
4.1%
|
10 | 3M |
4.1%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the boron carbide page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 5 | 50.0% |
China | 3 | 30.0% |
Turkey | 1 | 10.0% |
India | 1 | 10.0% |