The European Commission has submitted to member states a new draft of sanctions against Russia, including an oil embargo. Some member states that rely heavily on Russian energy sought exemptions.  

Western media reported that the European Commission draft of the sixth round of sanctions against Russia includes within six to eight months gradually banning oil imports from Russia, but allowing Hungary and Slovakia to extend the transition period for several months; The Russian Savings bank and other large financial institutions on the sanctions list.  

The European Union has imported 44 billion euros of fossil fuels from Russia since Russia launched its special military operation against Ukraine in late February, according to Finland's Energy and Clean Air Research Center.  

The Institute for European and Global Economics in Brussels estimates that the European Union currently consumes about $450 million worth of Russian oil a day.  

Among EU members, landlocked Hungary and Slovakia, which import most of their oil from Russia, cannot quickly find alternative supplies.  Slovakia says the transition will take years.  Some officials believe Bulgaria and the Czech Republic may also seek to opt out of oil sanctions against Russia.

Affected by the ever-changing international situation, the supply and prices of international bulk boron carbide powder are still very uncertain.

What is Boron Carbide B4C?

Boron carbide, also known as black diamond, is an inorganic substance with the chemical formula B4C. Hard black lustrous crystal.

It has a Mohs hardness of about 9.5, making it one of the three hardest materials known (after diamond and cubic boron nitride). Less fragile than most pottery. Used in tank armor, bullet-proof vests and many industrial applications. Relative density (D204)2.508 to 2.512. Melting point is 2350 ℃. The boiling point of 3500 ℃.

Boron carbide does not react with acid and alkali solution, has high chemical potential, does not react with acid and alkali solution, has high chemical potential, neutron absorption, wear resistance and semiconductor conductivity. It is one of the most stable to acids and is stable in all concentrated or dilute acid or alkaline solutions. Boron carbide is basically stable under 800℃ in the air environment, due to the higher temperature of the oxidation of boron oxide in the gas phase loss, resulting in its instability, oxidation to form carbon dioxide and boron trioxide.

It was discovered in the 19th century as a by-product of research on metal borides and was not studied scientifically until the 1930s. Boron carbide can be prepared by reducing boron trioxide with carbon in an electric furnace.

Because of its low density, high strength, high temperature stability and good chemical stability. In wear resistant materials, ceramic reinforcement, especially in light armor, reactor neutron absorbent applications. In addition, compared with diamond and cubic boron nitride, boron carbide is easy to manufacture, low cost, so it is more widely used, in some places can replace the expensive diamond, common in grinding, grinding, drilling and other applications.

What is Boron Carbide B4C Used For?

Controlled nuclear fission

Boron carbide can absorb large amounts of neutrons without forming any radioactive isotopes, making it an ideal neutron absorber for nuclear power plants, where neutron absorbers control the rate of nuclear fission. Boron carbide is mainly used in nuclear reactors as a controllable rod, but is sometimes made into a powder to increase surface area.

At the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, Russia finally stopped the chain reaction in the reactor after dropping nearly 2,000 tons of boron carbide and sand.

Abrasive materials

Boron carbide has been used as a coarse abrasive material for a long time. Because of its high melting point, it is not easy to cast into artifacts, but by melting the powder at high temperatures, it can be machined into simple shapes. Used for grinding, grinding, drilling and polishing of hard materials such as hard alloy and precious stone.

Coating paint

Boron carbide can also be used as a ceramic coating for warships and helicopters. It is lightweight and has the ability to resist armor-piercing bullets penetrating the hot-pressed coating as a whole.

Nozzle

It is used in the arms industry to make gun nozzles. Boron carbide, extremely hard and wear-resistant, does not react with acid and alkali, high/low temperature resistance, high pressure resistance, density ≥2.46g/cm3; Microhardness ≥ 3500kGF /mm2, bending strength ≥400MPa, melting point is 2450℃.

Because boron carbide nozzle has the characteristics of wear resistance and high hardness, boron carbide sandblasting nozzle will gradually replace the known carbide/tungsten steel and silicon carbide, silicon nitride, alumina, zirconia and other materials of the sandblasting nozzle.

Others

Boron carbide is also used in the manufacture of metal borides and smelting of sodium boron, boron alloys and special welding.

Boron Carbide B4C Powder 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 B4C powder, please send an email. (sales1@rboschco.com)

Maximo Pacheco, chairman of Codelco, Chile's state copper company, said in a recent interview that he expects copper prices to remain 'very strong in the future,' despite the recent drop. Codelco is the world's largest copper producer.

Copper prices suffered their biggest weekly drop in a year this week on concerns that tightening policy by central banks will dampen global growth and reduce demand for industrial metals. With its wide range of industrial and construction uses, copper prices are often seen as a bellwether of economic activity.

London copper closed at $8,325 a tonne on Friday after touching $8,122.50 a tonne, down 25 per cent from its Peak in March and its lowest level since February 2021. In addition to copper, other industrial metals also fell sharply. Tin, for example, fell nearly 15% at one point on Friday, bringing its losses for the week to about 25%.

"We may be in a temporary short-term turbulence, but what is important is the fundamentals and the balance of supply and demand [currently] looks very favourable for those of us with copper reserves," Mr. Pacheco said. Chile is the world's largest copper producer.  

Mr. Pacheco adds that in a world where copper is the best conductor and there are not many new reserves, copper prices look very strong because the future is very favourable for electrification.

Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology is a trusted chemical supplier and manufacturer providing high-quality chemicals and Nanomaterials. If you are looking for the boron carbide powder, please feel free to contact us and send an inquiry.

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