What are BNNTs?

Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNTs) are nanoparticles that are structurally analogous to carbon nanotubes but consist of alternating atoms of boron and nitrogen. Their existence was first theorized by Dr. Alex Zettl’s group in 1994 and since then significant research and development work has been performed in an effort to better characterize and understand BN nanomaterials and their promising applications. Though a large body of work now exists describing the numerous applications and opportunities for BNNTs to revolutionize the field of materials science, they are still not very well-known and have not yet been widely adopted in industry, due primarily to low efficiency production methods and high costs for the material. Epic Advanced Materials aims to leverage a new and patented synthesis process that can deliver BNNTs in greater volume and at much lower cost than what is currently possible, enabling the next generation of advanced material technologies.

Benefits of BNNTs

BNNTs have demonstrated a wide range of benefits when implemented into material systems, including:

  • High mechanical stiffness and specific strength (30x stronger than Kevlar and 100x stronger than steel)
  • Chemically inert and biocompatible
  • Highly functionalizable
  • Extremely high oxidation temperature and thermal resistance (>900˚C)
  • Neutron absorbing and radiation shielding
  • Piezoelectric (converts mechanical energy into electricity)
  • High thermal conductivity
  • Tunable band gap
  • High water permeability for filtration technologies
  • White/transparent when implemented into paints and coatings

These promising properties of BNNTs surpass those of carbon nanotubes in many regards and allow the material to find numerous applications in aerospace, medicine, energy, electronics, and many other industries.

Epic BN

Nanostructures

Depending on your application, various forms of boron nitride nanotubes are available including powders, “cotton balls”, and mats/sheets. These all come in various purities, aspect ratios, and tube wall numbers. For questions and guidance in choosing the right BN Nanostructure for your application and to learn more about our product offerings, please refer to some of the research publications on our Resources page or contact us here.

Customizable

Nanostructures

Have a unique application for BNNTs? We’d love to talk about it! Epic Advanced Materials is committed to providing customized BNNT materials that suit a variety of technical requirements. Epic is always looking to collaborate with commercial and academic partners to help promote the adoption of BNNTs in your field.