Hexagonal Boron Nitride: A New Favorite in The Metal Industry, Especially in The Field Of Active Metals

Hexagonal boron nitride, often referred to as "white graphite", has a layered structure similar to graphite. This structure gives it many excellent properties. In terms of high-temperature stability, it has no significant melting point under standard atmospheric pressure, and sublimation occurs only at 3000°C or above. In the nitrogen or argon environment, heat-resistant temperature up to 2800 ℃ without softening, even in the neutral reducing atmosphere, can also withstand high temperatures of 2000 ℃. Its excellent thermal conductivity is also very prominent, the room temperature thermal conductivity of hot-pressed dense block ceramics can reach more than 50W/(m・K), among the best in ceramic materials, and the thermal conductivity with the increase in temperature downward trend is not obvious. In addition, h-BN is also a good room temperature and high temperature electrical insulator, in a dry environment, high purity h-BN ceramic resistivity is very high, breakdown voltage up to 30 - 40kV/mm. At the same time, it has excellent chemical stability, to a variety of inorganic acids, alkalis, salt solutions and organic solvents have considerable corrosion resistance, for most metals and glass of the high-temperature melt neither wetting nor reaction.

Active metals such as aluminum and magnesium face many challenges in the smelting process due to their active chemical properties. Traditional smelting materials tend to react with active metals at high temperatures, affecting the purity and quality of the metals. The emergence of hexagonal boron nitride provides a solution to this challenge. In aluminum smelting, h-BN can be used as a crucible material. Since it neither wets nor reacts with the aluminum liquid, it can effectively avoid the contamination of the crucible material to the aluminum liquid and ensure the purity of aluminum. At the same time, its good high temperature resistance and thermal stability can withstand the high temperature environment in aluminum smelting process and prolong the service life of crucible. In magnesium smelting, h-BN also plays an important role. Magnesium is easy to oxidize under high temperature, and the antioxidant property and chemical stability of h-BN make it an ideal choice for lining material of magnesium smelting furnace, which can effectively reduce the oxidative loss of magnesium in the process of smelting and improve the efficiency of smelting.

Metal molding demolding: In the molding process of active metals, such as die-casting, forging, etc., demolding is a key link. Hexagonal boron nitride has good lubricating properties and can be used as mold release agent. The mold release agent made of h-BN can be applied on the surface of the mold, which can significantly reduce the friction between the metal and the mold, make the metal products easier to release the mold, reduce the scratches and defects on the surface of the products, and improve the surface quality and dimensional accuracy of the products. For example, in aluminum alloy die casting process, after using h-BN mold release agent, the yield rate of the product has been greatly improved, and the production efficiency has also been significantly improved.
Metal drawing lubrication: When active metals are drawn, lubricants are needed to reduce the friction between the wire and the mold, and to prevent the wire from breaking. h-BN as a lubricant not only provides excellent lubrication, but also maintains stability at high temperatures. In the wire drawing process of copper, aluminum and other metals, h-BN lubricant can effectively reduce the wear between the wire and the die, increase the drawing speed, and at the same time, ensure the surface finish of the wire and provide a good foundation for the subsequent processing procedures.

A large aluminum company adopts hexagonal boron nitride crucible to replace traditional crucible in its production process. After a period of time, it was found that the purity of the aluminum liquid was significantly improved, and the impurity content in the product was reduced by more than 30%. At the same time, the service life of the crucible was increased from the original average of 30 times to 80 times, which greatly reduced the production cost. In addition, after the company used h-BN mold release agent in aluminum alloy die-casting, the defective rate of the products was reduced from 15% to 5%, and the production efficiency was increased by 20%, which achieved significant economic benefits.

With the continuous progress of science and technology, the performance requirements for active metal materials are getting higher and higher. Hexagonal boron nitride, with its unique performance advantages, will have a broader application prospect in the metal industry, especially in the field of active metals. In the future, with the deepening of the research, the performance of h-BN is expected to be further optimized and the cost may be reduced, so that it can be applied in more fields. At the same time, the composite research of hexagonal boron nitride and other materials is also ongoing, and it is expected to develop composite materials with better performance, injecting new momentum for the development of the metal industry.

Shengyang New Material Co., Ltd. is committed to the production of boron nitride and boron nitride processed products, and can customize various boron nitride insulating ceramic parts according to customer needs. Contact us if necessary.
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