Synthesis and characterization of polycrystalline Mo2BC ceramic

Abstract Single-phase polycrystalline Mo2BC ceramic bulks were synthesized successfully from molybdenum, boron, and graphite powders using the spark plasma sintering method. Herein, it was established that the synthesis temperature of the Mo2BC ceramic could be as low as 1300 °C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization confirmed that the crystal structure of the Mo2BC ceramic was comparable to that of the MoAlB ceramic. The Vickers hardness of the Mo2BC ceramic was measured to be 18.1 GPa. Additionally, the compressive strength, flexural strength, and fracture toughness were determined to be 1.74 GPa, 457.72 MPa, and 3.26 MPa· m1/2, respectively. The Mo2BC bulk exhibited typical brittle features, in which intergranular and transgranular fractures were the main failure modes.