Boron nitride research points to tougher tools and advanced power grid technologies

Researchers have discovered a new phase of boron nitride (Q-BN), which has potential applications in manufacturing tools and electronic displays.

The researchers at North Carolina State University (NC State) say they’ve also developed a new technique for creating cubic boron nitride (c-BN) at ambient temperatures and air pressure, an advance that could be applied in the development of advanced power grid technologies.

"This is a sequel to our Q-carbon discovery and converting Q-carbon into diamond," said Jay Narayan, the John C. Fan Distinguished Chair Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at NC State and lead author of a paper published in APL Materials that describes the research. "We have bypassed what were thought to be the limits of boron nitride's thermodynamics with the help of kinetics and time control to create this new phase of boron nitride.