AlMgB14 Composite Materials and Their Mechanical Properties

AlMgB₁₄‐based composites combine the exceptional hardness of boron‐rich phases with the light weight of aluminium and magnesium, yielding materials that rank among the hardest non‐oxide ceramics. Their crystal structure centres on B₁₂ icosahedra, which confer intrinsic rigidity, while Al and Mg atoms occupy interstitial sites to stabilise the lattice. In practice, processing methods such as spark plasma sintering, self‐propagating high‐temperature synthesis and various sputtering techniques influence microstructure, phase purity and the distribution of spinel or oxyborate impurities. These parameters in turn govern key mechanical metrics: hardness typically spans 28–44 GPa, elastic moduli exceed 300 GPa, fracture toughness reaches up to 3 MPa·m¹ᐟ² and coefficients of friction can be as low as 0.07 under dry sliding. Composite routes incorporating TiB₂ or tailoring oxygen‐bearing phases have demonstrated simultaneous gains in wear resistance, load‐bearing capacity and self-lubricating behaviour. Together, these attributes have sparked interest in applications ranging from cutting and drilling tools to wear-resistant coatings and potential ballistic protection components, where the synergy of ultrahardness and low density is of critical importance.

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Technical terms

Nanohardness: A measure of resistance to localised plastic deformation under a nanometre‐scale indenter, expressed in gigapascals (GPa).

Coefficient of friction: The ratio of lateral force resisting motion to the normal load between two sliding surfaces under dry or lubricated conditions.

B₁₂ icosahedron: A geometric cluster of twelve boron atoms forming a highly rigid, quasi‐spherical unit that underpins the structural integrity of boride materials.

Spark plasma sintering (SPS): A rapid consolidation technique wherein pulsed electric currents and uniaxial pressure sinter powders at relatively low temperatures and short dwell times.

Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS): A combustion‐driven method that exploits exothermic reactions among elemental or precursor powders to form advanced ceramics without prolonged external heating.

References

1. Structure and Frictional Properties of Ultrahard AlMgB14 Thin Coatings. Nanomaterials (2023).
2. Synthesis and characterisation of ultra-hard and lightweight AlMgB14–xTiB2 composites for wear-resistance and ballistic protection. Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (2015).
3. Hard and Highly Adhesive AlMgB14 Coatings RF Sputtered on Tungsten Carbide and High-Speed Steel. Materials (2023).
4. On the Structure and Properties of AlMgB14-TiB2 Composites Obtained from SHS Powders by Spark Plasma Sintering. Materials (2021).