Boron carbide composite

1. A composite material comprising a sintered product of a mixture comprising 70-95 wt. % of boron carbide (B 4 C), 2-15 wt. % of tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC—Co), and 3-15 wt. % of yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ), wherein said boron carbide, tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC—Co), and yttrium oxide are substantially uniformly distributed in the sintered product, wherein the sintered product has a relative density of 90-99%.

2. The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the mixture comprises 70-90 wt. % of boron carbide (B 4 C), 5-15 wt. % of tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC—Co), and 5-15 wt. % of yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ).

3. The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the sintered product has a relative density of 97-99%.

4. The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the sintered product is obtained under substantially pressureless condition at a temperature range of 1600-2600° C.

5. The composite material of claim 1 , wherein said boron carbide is first attrition milled with tungsten carbide in ethanol to provide attrition milled mixture of boron carbide and tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC—Co), wherein said boron carbide after attrition milled is substantially free of boron oxide (B 2 O 3 ).

6. A method of preparing the composite material of claim 1 , comprising:

attrition milling boron carbide and tungsten carbide in ethanol to provide an attrition milled powder comprising boron carbide and tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC—Co), wherein said boron carbide after the attrition milling is substantially free of boron oxide (B 2 O 3 );

preparing an aqueous suspension comprising the attrition milled boron carbide and tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC—Co) powder, and yttrium oxide powder;

injecting mold said suspension and making it a dried mixture; and

sintering the dried mixture at a temperature range of 1600-2600° C. to provide the composite material.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the sintering is carried out at substantially pressureless condition.