Boron nitride has many similarities to carbon and has the ability to withstand high temperatures. It has good abrasive properties and is used for cutting tools. In addition to this, boron nitride has very low oxidation temperature.
Boron nitride has a layered lattice structure with hexagonal rings, similar to graphite. This helps maintain the structure, despite sintering. At the same time, it has excellent thermal conductivity. Moreover, it is very thermally stable and possesses good bending strength.
A new study shows that nano-twinned boron nitride particles can be subjected to high indentation loads. They are able to retain their strength at high temperatures and can withstand pressures as high as 15 GPa.
Cubic boron nitride, also known as c-BN, has properties that are similar to diamond. It is used as abrasive and as an insulator.
It is also a good choice for all but very harsh refractory applications. The alloy has a glassy B2O3 binder that is fully machinable.
Boron nitride is also very stable in oxygen, at much higher temperatures than diamond. It has been used in spacecraft as corrosion-resistant films. However, it is only available in very small amounts.
The search for hard materials continues. One potential candidate, lonsdaleite, is made from carbon atoms like diamond. It is found only in very small amounts, and it has an estimated hardness of 58 percent, which is more than half the hardness of diamond.
Other hard materials include wurtzite, which is made of several different atoms. It is extremely strong and is estimated to be about 18 percent harder than diamond.
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