Boron Nitride Nanotubes Synthesized by Pressurized Reactive Milling Process

Nanotubes, because of their very high strength, are attractive as reinforcement materials for ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). Recently there has been considerable interest in developing and applying carbon nanotubes for both electronic and structural applications. Although carbon nanotubes can be used to reinforce composites, they oxidize at high temperatures and, therefore, may not be suitable for ceramic composites. Boron nitride, because it has a higher oxidation resistance than carbon, could be a potential reinforcement material for ceramic composites. Although boron nitride nanotubes (BNnT) are known to be structurally similar to carbon nanotubes, they have not undergone the same extensive scrutiny that carbon nanotubes have experienced in recent years. This has been due to the difficulty in synthesizing this material rather than lack of interest in the material. We expect that BNnTs will maintain the high strength of carbon nanotubes while offering superior performance for the high-temperature and/or corrosive applications of interest to NASA. At the NASA Glenn Research of preparing BN-nTs were investigated and compared. These include the arc jet process, the reactive milling process, and chemical vapor deposition. The most successful was a pressurized reactive milling process that synthesizes BN-nTs of reasonable quantities.