Destruction, amorphization and reactivity of nano-BN under ball milling

摘要

The processes of mechanical activation of a hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and its reactivity upon interaction with hydrogen and water were investigated using X-ray, TEM, Microdiffraction, Dynamic Light Scattering, FTIR-spectroscopy, adsorption (BET). Initial h-BN samples were monocrystalline plates 70-80 nm thick. Mechanical treatment of h-BN is accompanied by plate splitting and formation of crys-rntallographically oriented "rods." The rod thickness gradually diminishes to less than 5 nm. Specific surface area of the rods (400m~2/g), is found to be equal to the outer geometrical surface of rods. As nanocrys-tallites form "c" parameter of h-BN increases. When nanocrystallites are less than several nanometers in size, mechanical treatment results in BN amorphization; in this case specific surface of the system begins to decrease. Splitting of BN plates in the atmosphere of hydrogen is accompanied by the material hydrogenation and formation of B-H and N-H bonds. The amount of adsorbed hydrogen corresponds to monolayer filling. The amorphous part of activated BN interacts with water even at room temperature.