Reaction bonded boron carbide composites are among the hardest ceramics with low specific gravity values, a combination that makes them eminently suitable for light armour applications. The present review covers the main issues involved in the reaction bonding process based on the infiltration of boron carbide preforms with molten silicon. The importance of achieving high green density values before infiltration is emphasised. Separate sections deal with the morphology of the composite material, the thermodynamics of its microstructure formation, the static mechanical properties and the dynamic mechanical properties at strain rates up to 105 s−1. All along the review, emphasis is placed on describing the effect of free carbon presence in the initial preform on the morphology and properties of the final composite.
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