As the European Union tries to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, the Russian president recently said Russia would try to shift its energy exports to the east, adding that there was no way for European countries to give up Russian gas immediately.

Russia supplies about 40 percent of the EU's gas, and western sanctions imposed over the conflict with Ukraine have complicated financing and logistical arrangements for existing agreements, hitting Russian energy exports, the report noted.  

Russia has been building closer ties with China and other Asian countries as the European Union debates whether to impose sanctions on Russian gas and oil and member states seek supplies from elsewhere, Reuters said.  

"So-called partners from unfriendly countries admit that they cannot survive without Russian energy, including gas," the Russian president said in a televised government meeting. There is no reasonable alternative to Russian gas in Europe right now."  

He also said Europe was driving up energy prices and destabilizing markets by talking about cutting off Russia's energy supplies. Russia, which produces about a tenth of the world's oil and a fifth of its natural gas, will need new infrastructure to increase energy supplies to Asia, he said.

He ordered Moscow to submit a plan by June 1, including "the expansion of transport infrastructure to countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region".  

He also sought to clarify the possibility of integrating two pipelines -- the Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok gas pipeline in the Far East and the "Power of Siberia" gas pipeline to China -- into Russia's unified gas supply system. In theory, connecting these routes to larger gas networks could allow Russia to divert gas from Europe to Asia.

Because of the ever-changing international situation, the supply and prices of international bulk boron carbide powder are still very uncertain.

What is Boron Carbide B4C?

Boron carbide (B4C) is an extremely hard boron-carbon ceramic and covalent material used in tank armor, bulletproof vests, engine damage powder, and many industrial applications. The Vickers hardness is greater than 30GPa, making it one of the hardest materials known, second only to CBN and diamond. 

Boron carbide is considered to be a robust material with extremely high hardness (Mohs scale of approximately 9.5 to 9.75), high neutron absorption cross-sections (i.e. good shielding against neutrons), and stability to ionizing radiation and most chemicals. Its Vickers hardness (38GPa), elastic modulus (460GPa), and fracture toughness (3.5MPa·m(1/2)) are close to those of diamond (1150GPa and 5.3MPa·m(1/2)). 

As of 2015, boron carbide is the third hardest substance known, after diamond and cubic boron nitride, earning it the nickname "black diamond".

Boron carbide is a semiconductor whose electronic properties are mainly hopping transport.  Band gaps depend on composition and degree of order. The band gap is estimated at 2.09 eV, and there are several middle-band gap states that complicate the photoluminescence spectrum. The material is usually p-type. 

 

What is Boron Carbide Used For? 

Boron carbide is used in refractories because of its high melting point and thermal stability; Because of its extremely strong abrasion resistance, it is used as a grinding powder and coating; High hardness, low density, and excellent ballistic performance; It is commonly used as a neutron radiation absorber in nuclear applications. In addition, boron carbide is a high-temperature semiconductor that can potentially be used for new electronic applications.

 

Specifically, boron carbide can be used as: 

The padlock 

Bulletproof deck for personal and vehicle 

Sandblasting nozzle 

High-pressure water jet cutting nozzle 

Scratch-resistant and wear-resistant coating 

Cutting tools and dies 

abrasive 

Metal matrix composites 

In the brake lining of a vehicle 

Neutron absorber in a nuclear reactor 

High energy fuel for solid fuel ramjets 

 

Is Boron Carbide the Hardest? 

Boron carbide has a Mohs hardness of between 9 and 10 and is one of the hardest synthetic substances known, second only to cubic boron nitride and diamond. 

 

Can Boron Carbide Cut Diamond? 

Due to its high hardness, boron carbide powder is used as an abrasive in polishing and grinding applications and also as a loose abrasive in cutting applications such as water jet cutting. It can also be used for dressing diamond tools.

 

Boron Carbide B4C Price

The price is influenced by many factors including the supply and demand in the market, industry trends, economic activity, market sentiment, and unexpected events.

If you are looking for the latest B4C price, you can send us your inquiry for a quote. (sales1@rboschco.com)

 

Boron Carbide B4C Supplier

RBOSCHCO is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12-year-experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and nanomaterials. The company export to many countries including the USA, Canada, Europe, UAE, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Turkey, Mexico, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Brazil, Chile, Dubai, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, etc.

As a leading nanotechnology development manufacturer, RBOSCHCO dominates the market. Our professional work team provides perfect solutions to help improve the efficiency of various industries, create value, and easily cope with various challenges.

 

If you are looking for B4C, please send an email. (sales1@rboschco.com)

The war in Russia and Ukraine is roiling global financial markets. Russia and Ukraine are important commodity suppliers in the world, so their conflict is bound to make a full impact on the global commodity supply. In view of this, the price of the boron carbide powder may continue to rise in the future.

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