• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.731-736
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• 2012

A new method for producing boron-containing nanoparticles is described. Boron trichloride ($BCl_3$) and methane ($CH_4$) are dissociated through injection into a thermal plasma followed by a nucleation process producing boron or boron carbide nanoparticles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to detect B-C bonds related to the carbide state and to probe the ratio of boron to carbon in the B-C bond structure. In addition, nanoparticles were characterized with scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. It was found that nanoparticles were in the range 30-70 nm and a boron to carbon ratio in the B-C bond structure of up to 2 can be reached when $BCl_3$ of 20 sccm and $CH_4$ of 25 sccm were used.