Boron Nitride Powders Formed by Aerosol Decomposition of Poly(borazinylamine) Solutions

Micrometer-sized aerosol droplets of a liquid ammonia solution of poly(borazinylamine) were formed in a nitrogen carrier gas by using an aerosol generator. The resulting droplets were thermally decomposed in a flow reactor at 1000°C. The white powder obtained was amorphous to X-rays and spherical with particle sizes on the order of 0.5 μm. The particles at this stage were porous, and some appeared to exhibit a hollow-shell morphology. Subsequent calcining at 1600°C yielded dense, crystalline boron nitride powder with partial sintering.