Self-lubricating, easily machined, non-wetting to molten metals. Hexagonal BN combines excellent electrical insulation with high thermal conductivity — "white graphite".
Used for: molten-metal break rings · plasma arc components · semiconductor fixtures · thermal management · machinable insulators
Hexagonal boron nitride (HBN) has a microstructure similar to graphite — layers of platelets that give excellent machinability and low-friction properties. Sometimes called white graphite, HBN combines outstanding electrical insulation with very high thermal conductivity, an unusual combination among ceramics.
BN’s properties compare favourably with beryllium oxide and aluminium oxide for electronic packaging, but with the major advantage of conventional machinability. Temperature stability and excellent thermal-shock resistance suit BN to the toughest high-temperature environments — plasma arc welding, diffusion sources and semiconductor crystal-growth equipment.
BN is typically hot-pressed into blocks and then machined to finished requirements. Compared with most ceramics it is relatively easy to machine, making it ideal for low- to medium-volume production of custom parts without diamond tooling.
BN is inorganic, inert, non-reactive with halide salts and reagents, and non-wetting when used in molten-metal applications. Combined with low thermal expansion, this makes it ideal for interface materials in molten-metal processes such as horizontal continuous casting break rings, evaporation boats and aluminium handling fixtures.
| Grade | Purity | Max temp | Density | Hardness | Typical use | Find products |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HBN — pure | 99%+ BN | 2000 °C inert | 1.9 | — | Highest purity — semiconductor, crystal growth | → Find products |
| HBN — boric oxide bonded | Bonded with B₂O₃ | 850 °C oxidising | 2.0 | — | General machinable BN — break rings, boats | → Find products |
| HBN — calcium borate bonded | Bonded with CaB₂O₄ | 1100 °C oxidising | 2.0 | — | Higher-temperature oxidising service | → Find products |
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Hexagonal BN shares graphite’s layered crystal structure, giving similar lubricity and machinability — but it’s electrically insulating and white, not conductive and black. Hence the nickname.
Yes. BN machines with standard high-speed steel or carbide tooling, taking conventional drilled, milled and turned features without diamond. That makes prototype and small-batch parts dramatically cheaper than alumina or zirconia equivalents.
In inert or vacuum service, pure BN runs hottest. In air or oxidising atmospheres, boric-oxide-bonded grades are limited to ~850 °C — switch to calcium-borate-bonded grades for service to ~1100 °C in oxidising conditions.
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