3D printed B4C-based honeycomb ceramic composite and its potential application in three-dimensional armor structure

B4C ceramic holds enormous application potential in the lightweight armors. In order to simplify the design of armor materials, 3D printed B4C-based honeycomb ceramic via DIW technique with high solid content were fabricated using printing ink with B4C powder, BYK-2070 dispersant, BAC solvent, PSZ adhesive and DCP cross-linking agent. The role of each constituent and the printing parameters of such honeycomb ceramic were investigated. In addition, epoxy resin was employed to impregnate PSZ-modified B4C-based honeycomb ceramic to prepare three-dimensional structure hybrid composites with excellent mechanical strength (172 MPa of flexural strength, 4.95 KJ/m2 of impact strength) and physiochemical properties (7.52 % of open porosity, 5.5 % of water absorption, 1.35 g/cm−1 of density, and 5.2 GPa of hardness). The exceptional performances of the three-dimensional structure hybrid composite come from the bioinspired structure design, new chemical bonds (such as the formation of B–C, C–N and Si–B bonds) formed in the ceramic material and cross-linking reaction occurred during curing between epoxy resin and PSZ. The findings in this study provide an effective strategy for the fabrication of B4C-based composites with controllable structures and mechanical performances and exhibit the potential application in complex armor structures.