Hexagonal Boron Nitride- A Thorough Insight On This
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Hexagonal boron nitride is an isostructural layered material to graphite that has the same excellent properties as graphite. It is used in different applications on the industrial level based on its properties such as electric conductivity,thermal stability, lubricating property, etc. It has a heat resistance property. The crystalline compound is made up of boron and nitride.It is soluble in water but partially soluble in acids.
How Hexagonal boron nitride is useful?
Hexagonal boron nitride can help in thermal conductivity that can be compared with the grapheme which is a similar type of hexagonal latticed compound but instead of boron and nitride, it's made up of carbon.It has a thermal conductivity of 1700 to 2000 W/mK. It has the lubricating property to push the coefficient of friction of lubricating oil while minimizing the wear and tear. It has a melting point of 2973⁰C and the coefficient of thermal expansion is greater than diamond. Even after being exposed to 1000⁰C in atmospheric air, the hexagonal form resists decomposition.
Here are some of the applications of Hexagonal boron nitride:
• A Lubricant
It is used as a lubricant in cosmetics, paints, pencil lead, and cement for dental treatments. The hexagonal form of boron nitride holds its lubricating property even in the absence of water or gas molecules in the compound. Thus it is a good component of the vacuum system. It has better chemical stability and electric conductivity than graphite.
• As Semiconductor material
Boron nitride is a marvelous wide-gap semiconductor material with a band-gap range from 4.5 eV to 6.4eV. It is useful in developing metal oxide semiconductors with its dielectric and thermal properties.
• Heat resistance
Its heat resistance power helps it to support in high-temperature conditions. Hexagonal boron nitride helps in thermal expansion. It can lubricate plastic, alloys, and ceramic with perfection. It's present in oven windows.It’s helpful due to its thermochemical properties.
• Physical property
Hexagonal boron nitride has a high physical appearance and physical attributes that help as an abrasive material for nickel, iron, and some selective range of alloy. It's helping to fetch cutting appliances and grinding machines with the physical properties bond.
Hexagonal boron nitride is a type of electrical insulator by properties and has thermal conductivity as the higher demand of the application. Its excellent lubrication properties excel due to its low coefficient of friction which is 0.15 to 0.70. it has a very good chemical inertness. It even supports low thermal expansion and bears a low dielectric constant. Boron nitride is highly performing in case of high load tolerance. It is stable even in high-temperature conditions like 1000⁰C in normal air, 1800⁰C in inert gas, and even 1400in a vacuum. The variety in properties may lead to the best material to lubricate and support functionality.