Use of Partially Hydrolyzed Pva for Boron Carbide Synthesis From Polymeric Precursor

B 4 C), Hydrolyzed PVA Boron carbide (B 4 C) synthesis from a polymeric precursor is an alternative to a traditional carbothermal reduction, promising low energy consumption and production costs, particularly for a polymeric precursor such as polyvinyl borate (PVBO). The sol-gel technique is preferred in the production of polymeric precursors owing to its convenience in producing singlesource reactants for synthesizing B 4 C at low temperatures (< 1800 C). The sol-gel parameters, such as the composition, viscosity, and pH, affect the formation of the polymeric precursor. In this study, industrial-grade partially hydrolyzed PVA and technical-grade boric acid (H 3 BO 3 ) are used to produce PVBO. We aim to specify the viscosity and pH values for different ratios of PVA:H 3 BO 3 . A sample with a weight ratio of PVA:H3BO3 of 1:1 ( Calcination is performed between 500 C and 700 C for 1-3 h to produce a single-source reactant, which consists of boron oxide (B 2 O 3 ) and carbon. It was observed that B 2 O 3 was distributed on the nano-scale level in the carbon matrix. The reactant is heat-treated at 1400 C for 5 h and crystalline, polyhedral, and irregular B4C particles are synthesized at low temperatures from industrial grade raw materials.