Advanced Engineering Materials, produced titanium diboride ceramics using a patented process based on self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS). Initial applications for the wear resistant, high temperature materials include cutting tools, dies and electrodes. Conventional titanium diboride synthesis relies on a solid state diffusion process in which boron carbide (B4C) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) are reacted together at about 2000degreeC. Although a successful commercial process, this route suffers from the twin disadvantages of residual carbide which acts as a contaminant and the resulting TiB2 particles are relatively large and require extensive, and expensive, grinding using cobalt-bonded tungsten carbide mills.
