Patent Title: Low-Temperature Method For Boron Carbide Production
IP Status: Granted patents in the United States, South Korea, and Türkiye
Technology Area: Boron Carbide / Advanced Ceramics / Nanomaterials / Radiation Shielding Materials
TRL: TRL 4
This technology enables the production of highly crystalline nano- and submicron-sized boron carbide particles through a fluid-phase and gel-based process operating at approximately 1250–1550 °C. Lower processing temperatures, controlled particle morphology and reduced need for post-production milling provide manufacturing advantages for advanced ceramics, composites and radiation-shielding materials.
Technology Overview
The technology provides a material-synthesis route for producing nano- and submicron-sized boron carbide (B₄C) particles at reduced processing temperatures. The process begins with a fluid mixture containing elemental boron, glycerol and one or more carboxylic acids. Bringing the boron and carbon sources together in a fluid reaction medium promotes more effective interaction at the molecular level and reduces diffusion limitations associated with conventional solid-state production processes.
Controlled heating of the mixture produces a gel intermediate containing B-O-C borate ester bonds. This gel is subsequently converted into a solid intermediate and sintered to form boron carbide particles. The homogeneous interaction of boron and carbon sources within the fluid and gel phases promotes reaction kinetics while facilitating the formation of highly crystalline boron carbide.
A key differentiating feature of the process is that the final sintering stage can be performed at approximately 1250–1550 °C. Conventional boron carbide production routes may require reduction and carburisation temperatures of approximately 1900 °C or higher. Reducing the required processing temperature offers potential for lower energy demand and reduced thermal-process burden.
High-temperature conventional routes can also cause excessive agglomeration, making subsequent milling necessary to obtain fine powders. Milling introduces additional energy consumption and may cause chemical contamination through abrasive wear of metallic or ceramic processing equipment. The technology enables nano- and submicron-scale boron carbide particles to be produced without requiring a separate milling step, supporting improved control over product purity and morphology.
Particle size and morphology can be tailored through process conditions, enabling highly crystalline nano- or submicron powders and structures including platelets, whiskers or rods. Laboratory development has also demonstrated high-purity and high-crystallinity boron carbide below 20 nm using a nucleating approach. The resulting material can be incorporated into advanced ceramics, composites and radiation-shielding systems.
Problem / Market Need
Boron carbide is an important engineering material for advanced ceramics, wear-resistant components, composites and radiation shielding due to its combination of high hardness, low density and boron content. Conventional manufacturing, however, can require very high processing temperatures, increasing both energy consumption and production cost.
High processing temperatures can also promote particle agglomeration and make it difficult to preserve fine particle dimensions. Additional milling may therefore be needed after synthesis, introducing further energy requirements as well as risks related to contamination and particle-quality control.
This technology addresses these challenges by combining boron and carbon sources in a fluid and gel-based reaction environment, providing an alternative route to highly crystalline boron carbide with controlled particle size at substantially reduced processing temperatures.
Key Advantages
- Boron carbide production at approximately 1250–1550 °C
- Potential reduction in energy demand compared with conventional high-temperature production processes
- Production of highly crystalline nano- and submicron-sized boron carbide particles
- Control over particle size and morphology through process parameters
- Reduced or eliminated need for post-production milling
- Reduced risk of chemical contamination originating from milling equipment
- Ability to incorporate lower-cost boron sources into the formulation
- Boron carbide suitable for integration into advanced ceramics, composites and radiation-shielding materials
Applications
- Neutron and gamma radiation-shielding materials
- Lightweight radiation-shielding composites
- Advanced boron carbide ceramics
- Wear-resistant ceramic and composite structures
- Boron-carbide-reinforced polymer, ceramic and other composite systems
- Boron carbide additives for integration into fine-fibre and textile-based protective materials
- Defence and ballistic-protection materials
- Nuclear technology and radiation-protection applications
Relevant Industries
- Advanced Ceramics
- Nanomaterials
- Nuclear Technologies
- Radiation Protection
- Defence
- Advanced Composites
- Technical Textiles and Protective Materials
- Industrial Materials Manufacturing
Technology Readiness Level & Validation
Technology Readiness Level: TRL 4
The technology has been developed at laboratory scale and boron carbide material has been successfully produced. Current evidence supports laboratory-scale production of high-purity and highly crystalline nanoscale boron carbide. The technology remains at the prototype-development stage, and further scale-up work is required before transition to higher-volume production.
Comparative laboratory testing of radiation-shielding performance is ongoing. Under the reported test conditions, material produced using the patented method absorbed approximately 80 units from an incident radiation level of 100 units, compared with approximately 50 units for the commercial boron carbide system used as the reference.
These results relate to the specific laboratory conditions used. Because parameters including radiation type, energy level, specimen thickness and test geometry have not been supplied as public validation data, the figures should not be interpreted as general product-level performance or a performance guarantee.
An important engineering requirement for scale-up is adaptation of existing furnace designs to the production process. Industrial collaboration with furnace and thermal-processing-equipment manufacturers is therefore relevant to increasing batch size and developing pilot-scale manufacturing capability.
The technology was developed through research supported under the TÜBİTAK 1003 Programme.
Intellectual Property
US Patent: US11912578B2
US Patent Publication: US20210246035A1
International Patent Publication: WO2019240692A1
International Application No.: PCT/TR2018/050310
South Korean Patent: KR102574046B1
Patent Title: Low-Temperature Method For Boron Carbide Production
Priority / International Filing Date: 13 June 2018
International Publication Date: 19 December 2019
US Patent Grant Date: 27 February 2024
Applicants: Sabancı University, SUNUM and Yıldız Technical University
Protection / Filing Coverage: United States, South Korea, Türkiye
Commercialisation Status
The technology is currently at the prototype-development stage and is available for licensing. Scaling the laboratory-validated production route towards higher-volume manufacturing is a key next step in its development.
Collaboration Opportunities
- Licensing
- Scientific consultancy
- Joint R&D and co-development
- Industrial validation and pilot testing
- Partnership in Horizon Europe and other international R&D projects
Potential partners may include boron carbide and advanced ceramic manufacturers, nuclear and radiation-shielding material developers, composite manufacturers, defence-industry companies, and organisations interested in industrial-scale production of nanoscale ceramic powders.
Furnace and thermal-processing-equipment manufacturers are particularly relevant development partners for scaling the synthesis process beyond laboratory volumes. Adaptation of furnace geometry and thermal profiles to the production route represents an important engineering area for pilot production and process scale-up.
Inventors
Inventors: Cengiz Kaya, Figen Kaya
Contact
For licensing, industrial validation, joint R&D or other collaboration opportunities related to this technology, please contact Sabancı University Technology Transfer Office (SUATT) at dpe.suatt@sabanciuniv.edu.