Difference Between Silicon Carbide SiC and Boron Carbide B4C

Risk aversion plunged on the positive news of the Russia-Ukraine talks. After several days of rising oil prices, the price of precious metals continued to fall. Domestic futures markets remain stable for the time being.

Back in international markets, WTI crude futures briefly dipped below $100 a barrel, while Brent crude hit its lowest intraday level in nearly two weeks. Spot gold briefly fell below $1,900 an ounce. Comex gold futures closed down 1.1 percent at $1,918.4 an ounce. Comex silver futures closed down 1.14 percent at $24.91 an ounce. “Recently, crude oil prices have been extremely sensitive to changes in geopolitical news.” Traders believe that the current oil price is still in the broad impact, Ukraine will still be a premium in the case, although the market further decline, but should not be too pessimistic, it is recommended to wait and see for the time being. The Ukrainian premium is still there and there will be some volatility in the silicon carbide powder market.

The main difference between silicon carbide and boron carbide is that in silicon carbide one silicon atom bonds to one carbon atom, whereas in boron carbide four boron atoms bond to one carbon atom. 

Silicon carbide and boron carbide are carbon compounds. Both of these are very hard materials. They have different chemical and physical properties. 

What is Silicon Carbide? 

Silicon carbide is a semiconductor material made up of silicon and carbon atoms. The chemical formula of the compound is SiC. So, it has a silicon atom bonded to a carbon atom by a covalent bond. The material, also known as emery, is found in nature in the form of mossanite, an extremely rare mineral. Therefore, silicon carbide is mostly made as a synthetic material. 

The molar mass of silicon carbide is 40g/mol. The material has a blue-black iridescence crystal structure, but is colorless in its pure form. The black color is due to the presence of iron as an impurity. Moreover, it is insoluble in water, but soluble in molten iron and lye.  However, we can find about 250 crystal types of silicon carbide. This compound shows polymorphism. Here, alpha silicon carbide is the most common and stable form. It forms at very high temperatures and has a hexagonal crystal structure. 

Silicon carbide has many uses. Mainly used for abrasive and cutting tool production. It is also an important structural material. Such as composite armor, ceramic coating bulletproof vests, high-temperature kilns, etc. In addition, silicon carbide is used to make car parts and as a semiconductor material.

What is Boron Carbide? 

Boron carbide is an extremely hard material made of boron and carbon atoms. The chemical formula of this compound is B4C. So, it has four boron atoms bonded to one carbon atom. It is second only to diamond and cubic boron nitride in hardness. Therefore, it is also known as the “black diamond”. 

The molar mass of boron carbide is 55.25g/mol. It appears as a dark gray or black powder or crystal. It is insoluble in water. This material is known for its high hardness, high neutron absorption cross-section, and high stability to ionizing radiation. In addition, it has semiconductor properties. Therefore, the electronic properties of boron carbide are mainly hopping transport. In general, it is a P-type semiconductor. 

Boron carbide is a synthetic material. It can be prepared by reducing boron trioxide to boron carbide in the presence of carbon. The reaction requires carbon or magnesium as a reducing agent.

What is the Difference Between Silicon Carbide and Boron Carbide? 

The main difference between silicon carbide and boron carbide is that in silicon carbide one silicon atom bonds to one carbon atom, whereas in boron carbide four boron atoms bond to one carbon atom. Silicon carbide is a blue-black crystal, while boron carbide is a dark gray or black crystal. 

The following infographic summarizes the differences between silicon carbide and boron carbide.

SiC and 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 SiC and B4C price, you can send us your inquiry for a quote. (sales1@rboschco.com)

SiC and 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 SiC and B4C, please send an email. (sales1@rboschco.com)

According to Reuters, U.S. Treasury officials said they would discuss with G7 leaders pricing caps and tariffs on Russian oil as an alternative to the embargo, which would keep the market supplied, limit price spikes, and reduce Russian revenues.  

The EU foreign ministers' meeting was held in Brussels.  The meeting failed to agree on the sixth round of sanctions, including an oil embargo on Russia, because of objections from Hungary.  

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said at a press conference after the meeting, that the meeting failed to reach an agreement on the final adoption of the sixth round of sanctions, the permanent representatives of member states to the EU will continue to discuss. The foreign ministers faced similar difficulties trying to reach an agreement on an oil ban. He said Hungary's position was based on economic rather than political concerns.  

Hungary is highly dependent on Russia for energy, getting more than 60 percent of its oil and 85 percent of its natural gas from Russia.  

A few days ago, the European Commission submitted the sixth round of proposed sanctions against Russia, including a total ban on Russian oil imports by the end of this year. Hungary immediately objected and said it wanted substantial compensation from the EU to offset its loss from giving up Russian oil.

The silicon carbide powder price is predicted to increase in the next few days, due to geopolitical factors.