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Title: Determination of impurities in cubic boron nitride (cBN) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS)

Journal Article · · Diamond and Related Materials
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  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
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The phase stability of cBN is critically dependent on the content and amount of impurities present. While studies have shown qualitatively that the addition of certain impurities can either increase or decrease the cBN-hBN phase transition temperature, studies have yet to show this effect quantitatively. This is because analytical methods to characterize minor and trace impurities in cBN are currently lacking. To this end, we present flux fusion methods capable of fully digesting cBN samples for ICPMS analyses. The materials used in this study are commercially available cBN powders in three different sizes. Two types of fluxes (LiOH and NaOH·H2O) are utilized so that both Li and Na impurities can be determined. To ensure the accuracy of Si measurements, a column chromatography method has been developed to purify Si from flux materials in order to increase the amount of dissolved sample sent to the ICP. Detection limits have been determined using procedural blanks and are found to be below 20 μg/g for all 58 elements analyzed except for Si, for which the detection limit is 312 μg/g. Nonetheless, all cBN powders studied are found to have high Si impurity levels that are above detection limit. This study provides a much-needed analytical protocol to enable comprehensive screening of impurities in cBN.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1881604
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1868646
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-825061; 1038878
Journal Information:
Diamond and Related Materials, Journal Name: Diamond and Related Materials Vol. 121; ISSN 0925-9635
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (16)

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High-pressure microwave dissolution of ceramics prior to trace metal determinations by microwave induced plasma atomic emission spectrometry journal January 1993
Evaluation of CVD-Deposited SiO2 as a Sintering Aid for Cubic Boron Nitride Consolidated with Alumina by Spark Plasma Sintering journal June 2012
Sintering of polycrystalline boron nitride composites for in-situ synchrotron high pressure research journal March 2015
Additive manufacturing of platinum group element (PGE) reference materials with a silica matrix journal February 2020
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Cubic boron nitride: synthesis, physicochemical properties and applications journal October 1991
Temperature dependence of the cubic boron nitride Raman lines journal June 1993
Cubic Form of Boron Nitride journal April 1957
New sample preparation techniques for the determination of Si isotopic compositions using MC-ICPMS journal November 2006
Cubic boron nitride competing with diamond as a superhard engineering material – an overview journal January 2013
Digestion Methods for Advanced Ceramic Materials and Subsequent Determination of Silicon and Boron by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry journal January 1997

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Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Cubic boron nitride
Flux digestion
Column chromatography
Mass spectrometry