Titanium Diboride

Titanium Diboride (chemical formula TiB₂) is an extremely hard ceramic material (33GPa) with excellent corrosion resistance at high temperatures and very good wear resistance which does not occur naturally in earth.  Many TiB₂ applications are inhibited by economic factors, particularly the costs of densifying a high melting point material. Current use of this material appears to be limited to specialized applications in such areas as impact resistant armor, cutting tools, crucibles and wear resistant coatings. It is also used as an inoculant to refine the grain size when casting aluminium alloys.

Thin films of TiB₂ have a wide range of potential industrial applications due to the wear and corrosion resistance properties that TiB₂ can provide to a cheap and/or tough substrate.  The electroplating of TiB₂ layers possess two main advantages compared with plasma (PVD, CVD) methods: the growing rate of the layer is 200 times higher (up to 5μms⁻¹) and the inconveniences of covering complex shaped products are dramatically reduced.

Formula:                                TiB₂

CAS#:                                     [12045-63-5]

Formula Weight:                   69.25

Density:                                  4.38 gm/cc

Melting Point:                        3225^oC

Color:                                       Grey to dark grey

Solubility:                                Soluble in Hydrogen Peroxide and Sulfuric Acid

Applications:    In the Aircraft industry, for cutting and grinding applications, protective coating in high temperature applications and as a base metal for cermet production.