• Tribology and Lubricants
• /
• v.35 no.6
• /
• pp.343-349
• /
• 2019

According to a report in 2011, hexagonal boron nitride demonstrated good solubility in pure water, even without surfactants or organic functionalization. Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets are an effective lubricant additive, and their solubility in pure water has motivated lubrication engineers to utilize aqueous solutions containing these nanosheets as water-based lubricants. In this study, we measure the width and height of the hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets dispersed in pure water by using the Zetasizer and atomic force microscopy. Without surfactants or functionalization, aqueous solutions containing 0.10, 0.07, 0.05, and 0.01 wt% of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets are synthesized via sonication-assisted hydrolysis. The Zetasizer provides only a one-dimensional size of approximately 410 nm, regardless of the concentration of the solution. Thus, it does not allow the estimation of the shape of the nanosheet. To acquire the three-dimensional size of the nanosheets, atomic force microscopy is employed. The aqueous solutions containing 0.10, 0.07, 0.05, and 0.01 wt% of the hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets show average values of 740, 450, 700, and 610 nm in width, and 37, 26, 33, and 32 nm in thickness, respectively. No significant trend is observed between the concentration of the solution and size of the nanosheets. Therefore, when preparing a water-based lubricant, it may be appropriate to adjust conditions such as ultrasonication time rather than the concentration.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.33 no.12
• /
• pp.503-510
• /
• 2023

This comprehensive study delves into the intricate process of exfoliating and functionalizing boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) extracted from hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and meticulously explores their potential application within epoxy composites. The extensive research methodology encompasses a sequence of treatments involving hydrothermal and sonication processes aimed at augmenting the dispersion of BNNSs in solvents. Leveraging advanced analytical techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and FTIR spectroscopy, the study rigorously analyzes a spectrum of changes in the BNNS's properties, including layer count variations, interlayer interactions, crystal structure modifications, and the introduction of functional groups. The research also rigorously evaluates the impact of integrating BNNSs, specifically glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-functionalized BNNSs, on the thermal conductivity of epoxy composites. The conclusive findings exhibit notable enhancements in thermal properties, predominantly attributed to the enhanced dispersion of fillers and enhanced interactions within the epoxy matrix. This pioneering work illuminates the wide potential of functionalized BNNSs for significantly enhancing the thermal conductivity of epoxy composites, paving the way for advanced materials engineering and practical applications.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.270-276
• /
• 2015

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based nanocomposites are fabricated by incorporation of boron nitride (BN) nanosheets with anisotropic orientation for a potential high thermal conducting ferroelectric materials. The PVDF is dissolved in dimethylformamide (DMF) and homogeneously mixed with exfoliated BN nanosheets, which is then cast into a polyimide film under application of high magnetic fields (0.45~10 T), where the direction of the filler alignment was controlled. The BN nanosheets are exfoliated by a mixed way of solvothermal method and ultrasonication prior to incorporation into the PVDF-based polymer suspension. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and thermal diffusivity are measured for the characterization of the polymer nanocomposites. Analysis shows that BN nanosheets are exfoliated into the fewer layers, whose basal planes are oriented either perpendicular or parallel to the composite surfaces without necessitating the surface modification induced by high magnetic fields. Moreover, the nanocomposites show a dramatic thermal diffusivity enhancement of 1056% by BN nanosheets with perpendicular orientation in comparison with the pristine PVDF at 10 vol % of BN, which relies on the degree of filler orientation. The mechanism for the magnetic field-induced orientation of BN and enhancement of thermal property of PVDF-based composites by the BN assembly are elucidated.

• Nano
• /
• v.13 no.11
• /
• pp.1850133.1-1850133.9
• /
• 2018

The hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BN) were firstly treated by silane coupling agents 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) and 3-glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (KH560) to introduce some amino and epoxy (EP) groups on the BN surface. These modified BN nanosheets were incorporated into an EP matrix to prepare BN@KH560/EP composites with excellent thermal conductivity and electrical insulation properties. Results showed that the thermal conductivity of BN@KH560/EP composite with 20 vol% BN dosage was found to be 0.442 W/($m{\cdot}K$), which was 81% higher than that of pure EP resin. Both BN/EP composites treated by KH550 and KH560 showed rather good electrical insulation properties, although the dielectric constant of BN@KH550/EP composites were slightly higher than BN@KH560/EP composites. Moreover, BN@KH560/EP composites also showed better thermal and mechanical properties than that of BN@KH550/EP composites.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.379-385
• /
• 2017

In this study, an amperometric non-enzymatic glucose sensor was developed on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode by simply drop-casting the synthesized homogeneous suspension of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets with a copper metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) composite. Comprehensive analytical methods, including field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and amperometry, were used to investigate the surface and electrochemical characteristics of the h-BN-Cu-MOF composite. The FE-SEM, FT-IR, and XRD results showed that the h-BN-Cu-MOF composite was formed successfully and exhibited a good porous structure. The electrochemical results showed a sensor sensitivity of $18.1{\mu}A{\mu}M^{-1}cm^{-2}$ with a dynamic linearity range of $10-900{\mu}M$ glucose and a detection limit of $5.5{\mu}M$ glucose with a rapid turnaround time (less than 2 min). Additionally, the developed sensor exhibited satisfactory anti-interference ability against dopamine, ascorbic acid, uric acid, urea, and nitrate, and thus, can be applied to the design and development of non-enzymatic glucose sensors.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.221-231
• /
• 2018

A new procedure to produce poly(vinylidene fluoride)/boron nitride hybrid membrane is presented for application in membrane distillation (MD) process. The influence of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) incorporation on the performance of the polymeric membranes is studied through the present investigation. For this aim, h-BN nanopowders were successfully synthesized using the simple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) route and subsequent solvent treatments. The resulting h-BN nanosheets were blended with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) solution. Then, the prepared composite solution was subjected to phase inversion process to obtain PVDF/h-BN hybrid membranes. Various examinations such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wettability, permeation flux, mechanical strength and liquid entry pressure (LEP) measurements are performed to evaluate the prepared membrane. Moreover, Air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) experiments were carried out to investigate the salt rejection performance and the durability of membranes. The results show that our hybrid PVDF/h-BN membrane presents higher water permeation flux (${\sim}18kg/m^2h$) compared to pristine PVDF membrane. In addition, the experimental data confirms that the prepared nanocomposite membrane is hydrophobic (water contact angle: ${\sim}103^{\circ}$), has a porous skin layer (>85%), as well competitive fouling resistance and operational durability. Furthermore, the total salt rejection efficiency was obtained for PVDF/h-BN membrane. The results prove that the novel PVDF/h-BN membrane can be easily synthesized and applied in MD process for salt rejection purposes.