Synthesis of the ternary boride Cr3AlB4 ceramics from raw powders contaminated with the amorphous phase

Cr3AlB4 is one of the attractive compounds for high-temperature constrictive ceramics due to its combination of properties typical for ceramics or metals. In this study, the formation mechanism of Cr3AlB4, presented in the literature, was confirmed by means of the following analyses: XRD, DSC and SEM. According to them the synthesis of Cr3AlB4 occurs is multi-step process with CrB2 being formed first, followed by Cr3B4, which is intercalated by aluminium to form Cr3AlB4. Furthermore, most scientific papers do not consider the possibility of synthesising MAB phase from the powders containing amorphous phase. In presented work, possibility of synthesis of Cr3AlB4 from the powders containing the amorphous phase and influence of this kind of raw powders on synthesis process is shown.