Magnesium-Boron Carbide Armor Composite

The goal of the approach is to get magnesium-boron carbide armor composite material, using relatively simple gasar technology and final cold plastic deformation in aggregate with boron carbide hardening. Volume percent of boron carbide in the composite should be 15-35%. Microstructure of the final material will consist from super fine-grained metallic matrix and boron carbide particles which are uniformly spread in the matrix. Metal matrix will have two kinds of grain boundaries: regular grain boundaries and super stable quasi-grain boundaries. Huge number of the boundaries and short distance between them bind dislocations and make them low movable. Especially high effect will come from quasi-grain boundaries because they are very stable and dislocations can not leave them and penetrate them. The reinforcing effect can reach 50-70%. Addition reinforcing effect and hardening comes from small boron carbide particles and can reach 20-30%. Addition reinforcing effect and hardening will come from last step - cold plastic deformation. So we can have material having density about 1.8 g/cm cub, room temperature tensile strength 900-1000 MPa. Hardness of the material should be about 50-55 RC and depends from percent of boron carbide content mostly. So it can be used like effective light armor. The technology for obtaining the structure includes three steps: - Melting Mg alloy in hydrogen reached atmosphere and mix the melt with boron carbide particles; - Solidification the melt in any casting mold under elevated pressure. - Cold plastic deformation.