Long Answer:   The three most popular materials used today for blast nozzles are Tungsten Carbide, Boron Carbide, and Silicon Carbide.  Boron Carbide nozzles are the hardest of the three, followed by Silicon Carbide, and then by Tungsten Carbide.  Hardness is necessary to order to withstand the wear and tear that the blast nozzle liner will be exposed to by the abrasive used.

However, the greater the hardness, the more brittle the material.  This is why Boron Carbide nozzles need to be handled with care.  When we ship B4C blast nozzles, we use a lot of packaging material to ensure safe transit.  Never drop, throw, pound, or abuse a boron carbide nozzle or you will destroy it.  (Just because boron carbide is the hardest material you can buy, does not mean it is not brittle.)