Preparation of Zirconium Boride Powder

Abstract

An intermediate reaction in the synthesis of ZrB 2 powder by the reduction of ZrO 2 with B 4 C and carbon was confirmed through both thermodynamical calculation and experimental results. Because the intermediate product B 2 O 3 was volatile, excess boron should be added to compensate for the boron loss in order to prepare high‐purity ZrB 2 powder. The synthesis temperatures of the intermediate reaction and carbothermic reduction were, respectively, about 1400 and 1600°C, obtained by experiments. The influence of processing temperature and time on the purity and the particle size of ZrB 2 powder was also investigated.