Boron nitride fibers from polymer precursors
Conversion of polymer precursors to high performance boron nitride fibers as explored through a fundamental study of the mutually dependent chemical, morphological, and processing requirements in precursor polymer synthesis, formation of continuous precursor fibers, and finally thermochemical conversion to oriented boron nitride fibers. Polyborate and polyborazylene precursors were investigated. method of incorporating polyborazine in polyborate were also explored in order to stabilize the shape of polyborate fibers and to help initiate an orientable boron nitride structure. Polyborazylene, a polyborazine of fused borazine polycyclic structures was chosen for study as a precursor for boron nitride fibers because of the closeness of its structure to that of the desired turbostratic boron nitride. Both poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(methyl methacrylate) were found to be compatible with the monomer, borazine, and polyborazylenesolutions with monoglyme. They could be used to build the viscosity of solutions. However, fibers that were hand-drawn from these solutions were very sticky and quickly hydrolyzed in room atmosphere. Conversion of polyborazylene to oriented boron nitride fibers was not realized. Processable polyborates were produced by polycondensation of trimethoxyboroxine and boric acid and also by disproportionation or trimethyoxyboraxine. It was shown that the rheological characteristics of the polyborate formed could be controlled by an appropriate combination of the conversion of the monomer to polymer and the addition of a linear organic polymer as a rheological aid. Poly(methyl methacrylate) was found to be a suitable rheological aid, with a decomposition temperature that is high enough to facilitate its incorporation in the polymerizing system and low energy to be fugitive during thermochemical conversion of the polyborate to boron nitride.
- Research Organization:
- Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta, GA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 111319
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: TH: Thesis (Ph.D.); PBD: 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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