Combat® Solid Boron Nitride, a truly machinable advanced ceramic

A unique material from Saint Gobain Advanced Ceramics known as Combat® Boron Nitride Solids. Combat BN solves problems that could not possibly be tackled with other compositions such as Al₂O₃ or SiC.

Combat® Boron Nitride Solids fight off temperatures over 2000°C and, depending on the grade, carries a dielectric strength of nearly 1000 volts/mil. Hot pressed in billet form, Combat Boron Nitride Solids can easily be machined into rods, bars, plates and even custom shapes.

The highly exceptional characteristics of Combat Boron Nitride Solids make it ideal for fixture or jig materials for sealing or brazing operations in induction, vacuum and atmosphere furnaces; for molten metal crucibles; heat sinks and high temperature insulators.

Combat® BN Solid Properties by Orientation

Hot pressed boron nitride, sometimes referred to as "white graphite" has a platey, hexagonal structure.  Atoms in the basal or platelet plane are held together by strongly directed covalent bonds in a hexagonal array.  This type of bond, equal to that found in diamonds, yields excellent physical, thermal and electrical performance under a wide range of uses.

In contrast, the bonds between platelet layers are weak Van der Waals forces, resulting in highly directional or anisotrophic properties.  Although these weak bonds can reduce the physical strength of the overall material, they impart many unique electrical and mechanical properties, most notably, its lubricious nature.  Hexagonal Boron Nitride can be easily machined into complex shapes using conventional high speed cutting tools.

During the formation of Combat Boron Nitride Solids, the large "billets" are hydraulically pressed under high temperature.  This undirectional hot pressing results in the orderly arrangement of the boron nitride platelets (see illustration).

When ordering Combat® Boron Nitride Solids, standard shapes are generally fabricated as shown in the illustration unless specific orientation is requested.