What is BAM AlMgB14 Powder?

US President recently decided to invoke a Cold War-era defense law to encourage domestic BAM powder.

Introduction to BAM AlMgB14 Powder
Magnesium aluminum boride or Al3Mg3B56, commonly known as BAM, is a compound of aluminum, magnesium, and boron. Its nominal molecular formula is AlMgB14, and its chemical composition is closer to Al0.75Mg0.75B14.
It is a ceramic alloy with very high wear resistance and very low sliding friction coefficient, achieving a record value of 0.04 in the unlubricated state and 0.02 in the lubricated AlMGB14-TiB2 composite.
First reported in 1970, BAM has an orthogonal structure with four icosahedral B12 units per cell. The coefficient of thermal expansion of this super-hard material is comparable to that of other widely used materials such as steel and concrete.
 
Physicochemical Properties of BAM AlMgB14 Powder
Structure
Most super-hard materials have simple, highly symmetrical crystal structures, such as diamond cubes or sphalerite. BAM, however, has a complex, low-symmetry crystal structure, with 64 atoms per cell. The crystal cell is orthogonal and its most prominent feature is four boron-containing icosahedrons. Each icosahedron contains 12 boron atoms.  The other eight boron atoms connect the icosahedron to the other elements in the cell.  The occupancy of metal sites in the lattice is less than 1, so while the material is usually identified by the molecular formula AlMgB14, its chemical composition is closer to Al 0.75 Mg 0.75 B14. Such non-stoichiometry is common for borides (see boride and boron carbide crystal structures for boron-rich metals). The cell parameters of BAM are a = 1.0313 nm, B = 0.8115 nm, C = 0.5848 nm, Z = 4 (four structural units per cell), space group Imma, Pearson symbol oI68, and density 2.59 g/cm 3. The melting point is roughly estimated at 2000 °C.
 
Photoelectric
BAM has a bandgap of about 1.5 eV. Resistivity depends on sample purity and is about 10^4Ohm·cm. The Seebeck coefficient is relatively high, between -5.4 and -8.0 mV/K. This property results from the transfer of electrons from metal atoms to the boron icosahedron, which is beneficial for thermoelectric applications. 
 
Hardness and fracture toughness 
The microhardness of BAM powders is 32-35GPa. It can be increased to 45GPa by nitrization with boron-rich titanium alloy, and the fracture toughness can be improved by TiB2 or by deposition of quasi-amorphous BAM films. Adding AlN or TiC to BAM its hardness will decrease. Hardness values above 40GPa make BAM super hard by definition. In BAM-TiB2 composites, the maximum hardness and toughness are achieved at about 60 vol.% TiB2. By increasing TiB 2 content to 70-80%, the wear rate was improved at the expense of about 10% hardness loss. The titanium B2 additive itself is a wear-resistant material with a hardness of 28-35gpa.
 
Thermal expansion 
The thermal expansion coefficient (TEC, also known as thermal expansion coefficient, COTE) of AlMgB14 was measured as 9 × (10^-6) (K^-1) by expansion measurements and high-temperature X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. This value is fairly close to the COTE of widely used materials such as steel, titanium, and concrete. Based on the reported AlMgB14 hardness value and the material used as the wear-resistant coating itself, the COTE of AlMgB14 can be used to determine the coating application method and the performance of the parts after use.
 
Friction
The composite of BAM and TiB2 (70 % of TiB2 by volume) has one of the lowest friction coefficient values, ranging from 0.04-0.05 in the dry scraping of diamond tips and reduced to 0.02 in water glycol-based lubricants.
 

Aluminum Magnesium Boride BAM AlMgB14 Powder

BAM AlMgB14 Powder Application
BAM is commercially available and is studying potential applications. 
For example, pistons, seals, and blades on pumps can be coated with BAM or BAM + TiB2 to reduce friction between parts and increase wear resistance. Reducing friction will reduce energy use. BAM can also be coated on cutting tools. The reduced friction will reduce the force required to cut objects, extend tool life, and possibly increase cutting speed.  Coatings only 2-3 microns thick have been found to improve cutting tool efficiency and reduce wear.
 
BAM AlMgB14 Powder Price
The price is influenced by many factors including the supply and demand in the market, industry trends, economic activity, market sentiment, and unexpected events.
If you are looking for the latest BAM AlMgB14 powder price, you can send us your inquiry for a quote. ([email protected])
 
BAM AlMgB14 Powder Supplier
Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology Co. Ltd. (TRUNNANO) is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12-year-experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and Nanomaterials, including silicon powder, nitride powder, graphite powder, zinc sulfide, calcium nitride, 3D printing powder, etc.
If you are looking for high-quality BAM AlMgB14 Powder, please feel free to contact us and send an inquiry. ([email protected])
 

Southern Copper Corp (SCCO.N) recently said its Peruvian mine remained closed after a six-week standoff with protesters and blamed the Peruvian government for failing to intervene in the safety of its 1,300 workers and their families.  

The company said in a statement that a recent agreement to end protests at the Cuajone mine required the company to withdraw complaints against protest leaders because railways transporting minerals and supplies remained blocked. Production has been suspended since the end of February.  

Peru's Energy Ministry said in a separate statement that it had also reached an agreement with Southern Copper to start talks to find common ground with local communities.  

"If we shut down for a year, the government will stop receiving more than 3.1 billion soles ($830 million) in taxes and royalties, and 8,000 direct and indirect jobs will be lost. This is what we want to avoid, "Southern Copper added in the statement.

Peru has faced a wave of protests from indigenous communities, who accuse mining companies of not providing enough jobs and funding to poor local residents.  

Central bank officials said last week that protests against copper mines such as MMG's Las Bambas and Southern Copper's Cuajone were dragging down the economy.  

Peru is the world's second-largest copper producer and mining is an important source of tax revenue for the country. It is estimated that the supply and prices of the BAM powder will be influenced by that.

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