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Turkish Boron Nitride (BN)
Boron nitride (BN) is a remarkable advanced ceramic material whose unique properties make it stand out in numerous demanding applications. It shares a similar hexagonal crystal structure with graphite, which is why it’s also known as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). This unique boron nitride structure gives it an amazing set of characteristics, making it an ideal choice for high-temperature, high-pressure, insulation, and lubrication applications.
Our boron nitride ceramic is meticulously crafted using precision processes to deliver exceptional comprehensive performance. From boron nitride powder to the final boron nitride products, we are dedicated to providing high-quality solutions that meet our customers’ specific needs. h boron nitride is the most common and widely used form, with the chemical formula BN (boron nitride formula).
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Key Advantages of Boron Nitride
Aluminum nitride ceramic stands out due to a combination of superior physical and chemical characteristics that make it a better choice than many traditional materials.
Precautions
Aluminum nitride ceramics react chemically with liquids such as inorganic acids, strong bases, and water and dissolve slowly, so they cannot be directly immersed in such materials. However, aluminum nitride is resistant to most molten salts, including chlorides and cryolite.
Aluminum nitride Ceramic Applications
Aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramics are widely used across multiple high-tech industries due to their excellent thermal conductivity and electrical insulation properties. They are extensively used in semiconductor and electronic packaging, serving as heat dissipation substrates for high-power devices such as IGBT modules and LEDs, ensuring stable operation. In automotive electronics, AlN is a key heat dissipation material for electric vehicle power modules and battery management systems. Furthermore, AlN plays an important role in microwave and radio frequency equipment, medical devices, and aerospace and defense, providing high-performance heat dissipation and electrical insulation solutions.
Available grades of aluminum nitride material
At Great Ceramic, we offer AlN aluminum nitride ceramics in multiple grades to meet diverse engineering requirements:
Aluminum Nitride Ceramic (AlN-170)
Standard-grade aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic is an advanced ceramic material that combines high thermal conductivity with excellent electrical insulation properties. It features a low coefficient of thermal expansion and high heat resistance while maintaining good mechanical strength, making it a key material in electronic packaging and thermal management. Standard-grade AlN ceramic strikes a balance between performance and cost and is widely used in thermal management systems for industrial electronics and power devices.
Key Features
Typical Applications
Production and Machining
Standard-grade aluminum nitride ceramics are typically produced from high-purity aluminum nitride powder using a sintering aid-assisted hot pressing (HP) process. To reduce cost and maintain stable performance, standard-grade AlN ceramics incorporate a sintering aid (such as yttrium oxide) into the formulation to enhance sintering density. Diamond tools are typically used for precision cutting, grinding, and polishing to ensure substrate dimensional accuracy and surface quality.
AlN-200 Upgraded Aluminum Nitride
AlN-200 grade aluminum nitride ceramic is an advanced ceramic material with high thermal conductivity and electrical insulation properties. With thermal conductivity reaching 200 W/(m·K) and above, it ranks at the top of the aluminum nitride ceramic performance spectrum. Designed specifically for high-power electronics, optoelectronics, and devices requiring extreme thermal management, it offers thermal conductivity approaching that of copper while maintaining excellent mechanical properties, combined with low thermal expansion characteristics unmatched by alumina ceramics.
Key Features
Typical Applications
Production and Processing
AlN-200 ceramics typically utilize high-purity aluminum nitride powder. Ultra-high density and thermal conductivity are achieved through optimized formulation and high-temperature pressureless sintering or hot isostatic pressing (HIP). During the manufacturing process, the oxygen content is strictly controlled (typically <0.5 wt%) to maximize intergranular heat transfer. The finished substrates often undergo precision grinding, polishing, and metallization (such as Mo/Mn or Ti/Cu plating) to facilitate subsequent soldering and electronic packaging.
AlN-230 Ultra Aluminum Nitride Ceramic
AlN-230 grade aluminum nitride ceramic is an advanced technical ceramic material with ultra-high thermal conductivity (≥230 W/(m·K)), representing the top performance grade within the aluminum nitride family. While maintaining excellent electrical insulation, it achieves thermal conductivity close to or even exceeding that of some metals, making it ideal for applications requiring extreme heat dissipation and high-power electronic packaging.
Compared to standard-grade (150–180 W/(m·K)) and high-grade (200 W/(m·K)) AlN, AlN-230 offers enhanced thermal management performance, significantly reducing device junction temperatures, extending device life, and enabling higher power density designs.
Key Features
Typical Applications
Production and Processing
AlN-230 grade ceramics are made from ultra-high-purity aluminum nitride powder with a strictly controlled oxygen content (typically ≤0.3 wt%). They are manufactured using an optimized sintering additive system and high-temperature pressureless sintering or hot isostatic pressing (HIP) processes. Their dense microstructure and extremely low grain boundary thermal resistance contribute to their ultra-high thermal conductivity.
The finished substrates are precision-ground and polished on both sides to ensure thickness tolerance and surface flatness. Metallization treatments (such as Ti/Cu or Mo/Mn plating) are also available to meet the soldering requirements of electronic packaging.
BN+AlN (Composite) Ceramics
BN+AlN composite ceramics are advanced ceramic materials made by combining hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and aluminum nitride (AlN) in a specific ratio. They combine high thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and excellent machinability.
This material combines the high thermal conductivity, high insulation, and low thermal expansion of AlN with the low density, good lubricity, and easy machinability of BN. It is ideal for electronic and industrial applications requiring efficient thermal management, lightweight structures, and complex fabrication.
Material Characteristics
Typical Applications
Preparation Process
BN+AlN composite ceramics are typically produced by uniformly mixing high-purity aluminum nitride powder and hexagonal boron nitride powder and then producing them through hot pressing or hot isostatic pressing (HIP). Adjusting the BN content can flexibly change the thermal conductivity, strength and processability of the material, achieving a balance between performance and processing costs.
Key Properties of Aluminum Nitride
| Property | AlN-170 (Standard) | AlN-200 (Upgraded) | AlN-230 (Ultra) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal Conductivity (W/m·K) | ≥170 | ≥200 | ≥230 |
| Volume Resistivity (Ω·cm) | >1×1014 | >1×1014 | >1×1014 |
| Dielectric Strength (kV/mm) | ＞15 | ＞15 | ＞15 |
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) (×10⁻⁶/K) | ~4.5 | ~4.5 | ~4.5 |
| Flexural Strength (MPa) | 300 – 400 | 350 – 450 | 350 – 450 |
| Maximum Operating Temperature (°C, in inert atmosphere) | ≥1000 | ≥1000 | ≥1000 |
| Oxygen Content (wt%) | 0.5 – 1.0 | ≤0.5 | ≤0.3 |
| Cost Positioning | Economy | High Performance | Ultra-High Performance |
| Typical Applications | General power electronics packaging, LED heat sink substrates | High-power semiconductor modules, RF/microwave devices | Ultra-high power SiC/GaN modules, high-power lasers, military-grade thermal management |
*The values are typical material properties and may vary according to products configuration and manufacturing process. For more details, Please feel free to contact us.
*Aluminum nitride is easy to be oxidized on the surface, which forms a layer of alumina.This helps to protect the material, but it affects the thermal conductivity (alumina is about 30 W/mK).In an oxidative atmosphere, this occurs at about 700℃.In an inert atmosphere, the layer protects AlN at temperatures as high as about 1350℃.When the temperature is higher than this, bulk oxidation occurs.
Aluminum nitride product application cases
Aluminum nitride ceramics combine high thermal conductivity, excellent electrical insulation, low dielectric constant, and a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of silicon, making them versatile materials suitable for numerous industrial applications. The following are the most common and influential use cases of aluminum nitride products in various fields:
Machining of Aluminum Nitride
Great Ceramic offers AlN aluminum nitride ceramics with high purity and exceptional thermal conductivity aluminum nitride performance, making them ideal for applications that demand both superior heat dissipation and electrical insulation. Aluminum nitride can be formed through several methods, including dry pressing, isostatic pressing, injection molding, and tape casting, depending on the required product geometry and performance.
Sintering is a critical step in aluminum nitride ceramic production. High-temperature sintering in a nitrogen atmosphere ensures densification while preserving the material’s thermal and electrical properties. Similar to alumina ceramics, AlN aluminum nitride shrinks by about 20% during sintering, which makes achieving precise dimensions in the green state challenging. As a result, post-sintering precision machining is necessary to meet exact tolerances and complex geometries.
Due to its high hardness and brittleness, aluminum nitride requires specialized techniques such as diamond grinding, laser machining, or ultrasonic processing. Great Ceramic uses advanced CNC ceramic machining systems to produce intricate parts, from aluminum nitride substrates to complex custom components.
With a full suite of advanced processing equipment and extensive technical expertise, Great Ceramic provides end-to-end solutions — from material selection and design optimization to precision machining and assembly — ensuring high-quality, high-performance aluminum nitride ceramic products for the most demanding applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Choose Great Ceramic for Aluminum Nitride
Boron Nitride(BN) Ceramics
Boron nitride crystal belongs to the hexagonal system, the structure is similar to graphite, and there are many similarities in performance, so it is also called “white graphite”.
It has good heat resistance, thermal stability, thermal conductivity, high-temperature dielectric strength, and is an ideal heat dissipation material and high-temperature insulating material. Boron nitride has good chemical stability and can resist most of the erosion of molten metal. It also has good self-lubricating properties. Boron nitride products have low hardness and can be machined with an accuracy of 1/100mm.
The composition of BN ceramics
BN is a crystal composed of nitrogen atoms and boron atoms. The chemical composition is 43.6% boron and 56.4% nitrogen, with four different variants: hexagonal boron nitride (HBN), rhombohedral boron nitride (RBN), cubic boron nitride (CBN) and wurtzite nitrogen Boron (WBN).
Available Grades of BN Ceramics
- Pyrolytic Boron Nitride(PBN):Purity is greater than 99.99%
- Hexagonal Boron Nitride(HBN): BN(＞99%)+ Boric Oxide(B2O3)
- Composite Boron Nitride Ceramics
Mechanical Properties
| Properties | Unit | HBN | PBN | Composite BN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Ingredients | % | BN>99% | BN>99.99% | Many kinds |
| Adhesive | —— | B2O3 | No | Multiple types |
| Colour | —— | White | White | Grey |
| Density | g/cm³ | 2.0 | 2.0~2.2 | 2.3~2.9 |
| Hardness(Knoop) | MPa | 39 | 692 | ＞100 |
| Compressive Strength | MPa | 100 | 173 | 280 |
| Flexural Strength | MPa | 30 | 150 | ＞100 |
Thermal Properties
| Properties | Unit | HBN | PBN | Composite BN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Use Temperature | ℃ (in oxidizing atmosphere) | 850 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Maximum Use Temperature | ℃ (in an inert atmosphere) | 2200 | 3000 | 2000 |
| Maximum Use Temperature | ℃ (under vacuum environment) | 1800 | 2300 | —— |
| Thermal Conductivity @ 25°C | W/(M・K) | ＞30 | 60 | 35 |
| Thermal Expansion at 25–1000°C | 10-6/℃ | ＞1.8 | —— | 2 |
| Specific Heat | J/g·℃ | 0.81 | 0.90 | —— |
Electrical Properties
| Properties | Unit | HBN | PBN | Composite BN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dielectric Constant | 1MHz | 4.0 | 3.0 | —— |
| Dielectric Strength | kV/mm | 79 | 56 | 9.0 |
| Volume Resistivity @ 25°C | Ω・cm | ＞1013 | ＞1014 | ＞1013 |
*The values are typical material properties and may vary according to products configuration and manufacturing process. For more details, Please feel free to contact us.
What can Boron Nitride Ceramics be used for?
- Fracture ring for continuous casting of metal
- Heat treatment fixture
- High temperature lubricant
- Release agent
- Molten metal and glass castings
- Nozzle for transfer or atomization
- Laser nozzle
- Ion thruster discharge channel
- Nuclear shield
- Induction heating coil bracket
- Gasket
- High temperature and high voltage electric insulator
- Furnace support requiring resistivity
- Crucible and container for high purity molten metal
The Advantages Of Hexagonal BN Ceramics:
- High heat resistance: sublimation at 3000°C; at 1800°C, its strength is twice that at room temperature. It will not break when cooled from 1500°C to room temperature dozens of times; it will not become soft in an inert gas at 2800°C.
- High conductivity: The hot-pressed product is 33W/MK, the same as pure iron. When it is higher than 530℃, it has the maximum thermal conductivity above 530℃.
- Low thermal expansion coefficient: Its thermal expansion coefficient is 2×10-6, second only to quartz glass, and the lowest among ceramics. Due to its high thermal conductivity, it has high thermal shock resistance.
- Excellent electrical properties: excellent high-temperature insulation; up to 1014Ω-cm at 25°C and 103Ω-cm at 2000°C. So it is the best high temperature. Insulating material in ceramics. When the breakdown voltage is 3KV/MV, the low dielectric loss is 108HZ, it can reach 2.5×10-4, the dielectric constant is 4, and it can penetrate microwave and infrared rays.
- Extremely strong corrosion resistance: Will not react with common metals (iron, copper, aluminum, lead, etc.), rare earth metals, precious metals, semiconductor materials (germanium, silicon, potassium arsenide), glass, molten salt (crystal) , Fluoride and slag), inorganic acids and alkalis.
- Low friction coefficient: U is 0.16, which will not increase at high temperature. It has higher temperature resistance than molybdenum disulfide and graphite. The oxidizing atmosphere is 900°C; it can be used at 2000°C under vacuum.
- High purity and high boron content: the impurity content is less than 10PPM, and the boron content exceeds 43.6%.
- Machinability: Its hardness is Mohs 2, so it can be processed into high-precision parts and components by conventional machining.
Our Boron Nitride Ceramic Service
Great Ceramic is an expert in the production of technical ceramics. Since 2013, we have participated in and provided more than 3,000 types of precision ceramic products to hundreds of companies.
We can provide you with ceramic processing, ceramic raw materials, ceramic mold forming, surface metallization and other services, and we are committed to providing only products and services that meet or exceed customer quality requirements.
Machining
Materials
Boron Nitride Product Display
Learn more about boron nitride ceramics
Pyrolytic Boron Nitride (PBN) belongs to the hexagonal crystal system, with a purity of 99.999%, acid and alkali resistance, oxidation resistance, good thermal conductivity, compactness, and processing. It is formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of ammonia and boron halides under high temperature and high vacuum conditions. It can be used to prepare PBN plates, or directly prepare crucibles, boats, coatings and other PBN final products.
Pyrolytic boron nitride is different from ordinary hot-pressed boron nitride (HBN). It does not need to go through the traditional hot-pressed sintering process and does not add any sintering agent. Therefore, the obtained product has the following remarkable characteristics:
- Non-toxic and tasteless;
- High purity, reaching more than 99.999%;
- It does not react with acids, alkalis, salts and organic reagents at room temperature. It is slightly corroded in molten salt and lye, but it can resist the corrosion of various acids at high temperatures;
- Does not react with most molten metals, semiconductors and their compounds;
- Under 1000℃, good anti-oxidation performance;
- Good thermal shock resistance, no cracks were found when dropped into water at 2000℃;
- The use temperature is high, there is no sublimation point, and it can be directly decomposed into B and N above 3000℃;
- High resistance and good electrical insulation performance;
- The surface is smooth, without pores, and is not wet with most semiconductor melts.
Due to the nature of the CVD process, pyrolytic boron nitride parts usually require a wall thickness of no more than 3 mm. However, the CVD process makes the pyrolytic boron nitride have a nearly perfect layered structure, resulting in anisotropic thermal conductivity, making it an ideal material for making crystal growth crucibles.
Applications:
1. OLED evaporation unit;
2. Semiconductor single crystal growth (VGF, LEC) crucible;
3. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) evaporation crucible;
4. MOCVD heater;
5. Polycrystalline synthesis boat;
6. PBN infrared window;
7. Satellite communication microwave tube;
8. PBN coated carrier plate;
9. Insulation board for high temperature and high vacuum equipment.
Boron nitride ceramic materials have excellent machining properties and can be processed into complex shapes with very small tolerances as required.
The following matters should be paid attention to in the processing of boron nitride ceramic materials:
1. All boron nitride ceramic materials can be processed with standard high-speed steel cutting tools. For the processing of composite materials with harder materials, cemented carbide tools or diamond tools are recommended.
2. Grinding can be carried out as required, and standard taps and dies can be used to machine threads.
3. The machining process should always be kept dry, without the use of cutting oil and coolant.
4. Cutting tools should be sharp and clean. Do not use cutting tools with negative inclination.
5. When processing materials, be careful when jamming and clamping to avoid excessive pressure. Down-milling technology should be used to prevent missing edges and corners.
