
doi: 10.1063/1.1494860
The Vickers hardness of boron suboxide single crystals was measured using a diamond indentation method. Under a loading force of 0.98 N, our test gave an average Vickers hardness of 45 GPa. The average fracture toughness was measured as 4.5 MPa m1/2. We also measured the hardness of the cubic boron nitride and sapphire single crystals for comparison. The average measured hardness for boron suboxide was found to be very close to that of cubic boron nitride under the same loading force. Our results suggest that the boron suboxide could be a new superhard material for industrial applications, surpassed in hardness only by diamond and cubic boron nitride.
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 254 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 1% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 1% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
