Densification of Crystalline Boron Carbide during Shock-Wave Loading

Crystalline powder boron carbide samples are subjected to explosive loading by 2-mu s shock waves with an amplitude of 38 GPa and shock heating to 700 K and to subsequent conservation. The samples recovered after shock-wave loading are studied by X-ray diffraction, and new effects of shock-wave loading on boron carbide are revealed. The explosive treatment is shown to shift the X-ray diffraction reflections of initial boron carbide toward high angles, which is attributed to an increase in the boron carbide density at the level of atomic volume in the unit cell of boron carbide. The X-ray diffraction reflections are found to broaden, which is interpreted as an increase in the coherent scattering region in the crystalline boron carbide subjected to the explosive treatment.