Synthesis, structure and antioxidant performance of boron nitride (hexagonal) layers coating on carbon nanotubes (multi-walled)

Carbon nanotube/Boron nitride(CNT/BN) nanocomposites were performed by a facile method with boric acid (H3BO3) and melamine (C3H6N6). Uniform boron nitride (BN) precursor deposition films were deposited onto the surface of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs),which involves attachment of the precursor and subsequent nitridation in ammonia atmosphere at 1050 °C. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD) on the crystal structure and phase composition. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to characterize the material surface morphology and coating structure. Chemical composition analysis of surface and chemical bonds formed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed as well as the oxidation resistance under high temperature by thermal gravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA). The results indicate that the boron nitride coating on carbon nanotubes composite has been synthesized successfully by this method and greatly improves the antioxidant performance of carbon nanotubes compared with the original carbon nanotubes (690 °C, compared to 550 °C of original carbon nanotubes), which provides a potential application at high temperatures for carbon nanotube materials.