Cerium hexaboride is dark gray powder, which is a rare earth boride. It has relatively low work function that is about 2.5 eV, so decide it is cathode material of extremely high electron emissivity. It is also a refractory ceramic material. Cerium boride is stable in vacuum. CeB6 is dense Kondo-like behaviour. It has better resistance to carbon pollution and longer life than lanthanum boride cathode. Its working temperature is 1450℃ usually. CeB6 like LaB6 will slowly evaporate at working period. Cerium boride is insoluble in water.
Cerium Hexaboride
Purity: Ce/RE 99.9% 3N
Particle size: -20~500mesh
| CAS No.:12008-02-5 | Molecular Formula:CeB6 or B6Ce-2 | Molecular Weight:204.976 | EC Number:234-526-9 |
| Melting Point:2552℃ |
Applications
Cerium hexaboride mainly uses for a coating of hot cathodes, or cerium boride crystal makes up hot cathodes directly. CeB6 and LaB6 are usually used for some coating of high current hot cathode with heavy current. CeB6 cathode has lower evaporation rate than lanthanum boride below 1700K, but they get to same and even higher evaporation rate at 1850K. It has 50% higher life than LaB6 due that it has better resistance to carbon pollution. The brightness of boride cathode is 10 times than tungsten cathode and at same time its life is 10-15 times higher than tungsten cathode. Their common uses are electron microscope, microwave tube, electron beam lithography, electron beam welding, X-ray tube and free electron laser.