Boron nitride components from hebosint

FAQ

Boron nitride (particularly the hexagonal boron nitride commonly used in industry) is an advanced synthetic ceramic material and a high-temperature-resistant industrial ceramic.
In its solid form, it is often referred to as “white graphite” due to its flake-like microstructure. Unlike conventional black graphite, however, boron nitride is an excellent electrical insulator and has a significantly higher oxidation temperature.
The material is regarded in the industry as a true all-rounder, as it combines a unique set of physical, thermal, and electrical properties:
  • Extreme temperature resistance: In an inert (oxygen-free) or reducing environment, boron nitride can easily withstand temperatures exceeding 2,000 °C.
  • Outstanding thermal management: It offers excellent thermal conductivity and high thermal capacity, combined with very low thermal expansion.
  • Electrical insulation: The material has a low dielectric constant and excellent dielectric strength, making it ideal for electrical components.
  • Thermal shock resistance: Boron nitride remains extremely stable under extreme and abrupt temperature changes.
  • Excellent release and lubricating properties: It has a naturally very low coefficient of friction and provides reliable lubrication even under extreme conditions.
  • Chemical resistance: It is chemically inert and can withstand even aggressive molten metals.
In addition, solid boron nitride can be machined extremely easily and to very tight tolerances without requiring any subsequent heat treatment (annealing). To provide the perfect solution for a wide range of applications, boron nitride is available not only as a solid component but also in the form of powders, liquid coatings, aerosol sprays, or as a lubricant additive.
Due to its unique combination of temperature resistance, thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and anti-adhesive properties, boron nitride is a true all-rounder in industry. Depending on the application, it is used in the form of solid sintered components (e.g., HeBoSint®), liquid coatings (HeBoCoat®), powders (HeBoFill®), or as a lubricant additive (HeBoLub®).
Here is an overview of the most important industrial applications:

Metallurgy and Casting
  • Metal and aluminum casting: Crucibles, nozzles, and molded parts are made from solid boron nitride because the material is extremely resistant to thermal shock and does not chemically react with molten metal. When used as a coating on channels, it prevents buildup and makes cleaning easier.
  • Powder metallurgy (metal atomization): Boron nitride nozzles ensure an extremely high powder yield, reduce waste, and enable precise control of particle shape and size.
Thermal Processes and Furnace Construction
  • High-temperature furnace construction: It is used as a heat-resistant electrical insulation sleeve, heating element support, or thermocouple protection tube and ensures safe process control.
  • Sintering technology: Used as a sintering support or coating, it reliably separates the sintered material from the substrate, prevents sticking, and protects components from unwanted carburization.
Metal Forming and Surface Treatment
  • Metal Forming & Extrusion: During drawing, rolling, or aluminum extrusion, boron nitride acts as a highly effective high-temperature release agent and lubricant, replacing traditional agents such as carbon black. It also ensures clean processes in superplastic forming (SPF).
  • Welding, brazing, and laser processing: Coatings and sprays reliably protect workpieces and welding nozzles from metal spatter. In laser cutting, boron nitride reduces burr formation and protects against oxidation and soot marks.
  • PVD and plasma systems: Metallic shielding frames are coated using these systems to save valuable cleaning time thanks to the non-stick effect and to ensure electrical insulation.
Plastics and Lubricants Technology
  • Thermally Conductive Plastics (Thermal Management): Boron nitride powders are ideal fillers for significantly increasing the thermal conductivity of plastics (e.g., for electronics) without compromising their electrical insulation properties.
  • Lubricants: As an oil additive, it minimizes wear and friction, thereby reducing energy and fuel consumption. It also serves as a future-proof alternative to PTFE and is partially NSF-certified (Category HX-1) for use in lubricants that may come into occasional contact with food.
High-tech and future-oriented industries
  • Aerospace: Boron nitride has proven its worth in plasma thrusters for satellites under the most extreme conditions. It provides electrical insulation (preventing short circuits), does not chemically react with the plasma, and withstands the extreme temperature variations in space.
  • Solar and semiconductor technology: In the manufacture of silicon wafers for solar modules, it protects the sensitive graphite and copper heating elements. High-performance mixed ceramics (such as HeBoSint® SL-A 800) are used in state-of-the-art power and semiconductor electronics.
  • Hydrogen economy: Boron nitride powder serves as a diffusion barrier to improve the sealing performance of materials used in hydrogen storage and transport and to minimize emissions.
Boron nitride is an extremely versatile material and is available in several different forms, depending on the industrial application.
The most important forms include:
  • Solid Form (Sintered Components): In its solid form, boron nitride is often referred to as “white graphite” due to its structure. The material is hot-pressed under high pressure and temperature into large blocks or billets, from which high-precision and complex components are subsequently manufactured. At Henze BNP, these thermally conductive and electrically insulating components are known under the HeBoSint® product family.

  • Powder Form: Boron nitride powders are available in a wide range of grades and are primarily used as functional fillers. They are used, for example, to make plastics thermally conductive (thermal management) or as solid lubricants. These powder products are available from Henze under the brand name HeBoFill®.
  • Liquid Form (Coatings / Suspensions): Boron nitride is used as a water- or solvent-based liquid suspension to apply or coat surfaces. This provides excellent release and lubrication properties, e.g., in metal casting. These coatings are part of the HeBoCoat® product family.
  • Aerosol form (sprays): For particularly easy, quick, and precise application, boron nitride is also available as a spray. This is ideal for pressure sintering on small surfaces or for protecting welding and brazing fixtures. At Henze, sprays are also part of the HeBoCoat® product group (Spray Line).
  • Lubricant additive (oil dispersion): In this form, ultra-fine boron nitride particles are present in a highly concentrated and finely dispersed state within an oil. When used as an additive in conventional lubricants, it has been proven to minimize friction and wear in engines and transmissions. This liquid additive is marketed under the name HeBoLub®.
The main difference between cubic and hexagonal boron nitride lies primarily in their hardness, crystal structure, and the resulting applications:
  • Cubic boron nitride: This form has a crystal structure similar to that of diamond and, as a result, exhibits similar properties. The most important characteristic of cubic boron nitride is its extreme hardness, which is why it is often used as a substitute for diamond in industrial applications.
  • Hexagonal boron nitride: Unlike the cubic form, hexagonal boron nitride is relatively soft. It is readily available commercially and can be processed into large blocks (ingots) in its solid form. Its outstanding strengths lie not in its hardness, but in its ability to withstand extremely high temperatures, its excellent electrical properties, and its resistance to aggressive molten metals.
Although boron nitride in its solid form is often referred to as “white graphite” due to its similar microstructure, it differs significantly from conventional graphite in two key technical properties:
  • Excellent electrical insulation: While conventional graphite is electrically conductive, boron nitride is an excellent electrical insulator. This property makes it indispensable for applications in which components must simultaneously dissipate heat efficiently and provide reliable electrical insulation (such as in semiconductor technology or high-temperature furnace construction).
  • Significantly higher oxidation temperature: Unlike graphite, boron nitride has a much higher oxidation temperature. This means that it does not burn upon contact with oxygen until much higher temperatures are reached, making it significantly more resistant and stable in thermally extreme environments.
Yes, boron nitride can be used in the food industry. Its applications include, in particular:
  • Lubricants for food processing: Certain boron nitride powders from Henze BNP (such as HeBoFill® LL-SP 010 and HeBoFill® LL-SP 050) are NSF-certified (Category HX-1). These powders may be used as additives in lubricants where incidental contact with food may occur. This allows their use directly in and around food processing production facilities. In addition, boron nitride lubricants have received the necessary FDA and EU approvals for food contact.
  • Food packaging: Boron nitride is also used as a functional filler in polyolefin blown films, which are used in food applications.
Die NSF-zertifizierten Bornitrid-Pulver (insbesondere HeBoFill® LL-SP 010 und HeBoFill® LL-SP 050) bieten in der Lebensmitteltechnik und -verarbeitung mehrere entscheidende Vorteile:
  • Sicherheit bei unbeabsichtigtem Lebensmittelkontakt (Kategorie HX-1): Die Pulver besitzen das NSF-Zertifikat in der Kategorie HX-1. Dadurch dürfen sie offiziell als Additive in Schmierstoffen eingesetzt werden, bei denen ein gelegentlicher, unbeabsichtigter Kontakt mit Lebensmitteln auftreten kann, was ihren Einsatz direkt in und an Anlagen der Lebensmittelverarbeitung ermöglicht.
  • Physiological safety and expanded approvals: The material is physiologically safe and extremely compatible with seals as well as the plastics commonly used in systems. In addition to NSF certification, the material also holds the necessary FDA and EU approvals for food contact.
  • A safe alternative to PTFE with superior lubricating performance: These powders serve as a future-proof alternative to PTFE. They form a stable dry lubricating film that remains intact even under the heaviest loads and in extreme conditions. They also exhibit excellent creep and wetting properties.
  • Equipment protection and cost-effectiveness: As lubricant additives, they have been proven to reduce friction, which leads to lower energy consumption in production facilities. The strong wear protection they provide on surfaces also significantly extends the service life (product lifecycle) of components and machinery.
  • Versatility right down to the packaging: In addition to their traditional use as lubricants, these fillers can also be used in polyolefin film blowing, which is directly applied to food applications and packaging.

As a family business, we have specialized exclusively in the production, distribution and development of hexagonal boron nitride products for more than 30 years. We are characterized by in-depth expertise, a high level of innovation and individual customer advice. This enables us to provide you with tailor-made solutions for the most technically demanding applications from a single source – from the initial idea to the finished product.

Yes, absolutely. We manufacture our boron nitride products directly at our company site in Lauben (southern Bavaria). Our quality and environmental management is strictly and reliably certified in accordance with ISO 9001 (since 2002) and ISO 14001 (since 2019).

Sustainability is deeply rooted in our DNA. Thanks to our in-house photovoltaic systems, we achieve a self-sufficiency rate of just over 60% during the summer months. The remaining electricity we need is sourced entirely from renewable sources. Thanks to a sophisticated energy recovery concept, we manufacture our boron nitride sintered bodies using 100% renewable energy—and, in the best-case scenario, 40% more energy-efficiently compared to conventional manufacturing processes. In addition, we cover a large portion of our heating needs in an environmentally friendly manner through the recovery of process heat.

We take responsibility for people and the environment. Since 2024, we have been successfully certified as a company according to the strict criteria of the Economy for the Common Good (ECG). Our ethical business culture also means that we consciously refrain from working with companies from the nuclear energy sector (extraction of uranium or production of nuclear energy) and the arms and weapons industry when selling our products.

Yes, for example, our products reduce energy and fuel consumption by reducing friction and extend the product life cycle through optimum wear protection. In addition, boron nitride is physiologically harmless, very compatible with plastics and seals and retains its effect even under the most extreme conditions. Certain HeBoFill® powders are even NSF-certified (category HX-1) for use in lubricants with unintended food contact.

Thanks to their high temperature resistance and non-wettability, Henze HeBoSint® crucibles are particularly suitable as a crucible material.

HeBoSint® Benefits

  • Excellent resistance to thermal cycling
  • low thermal expansion
  • high thermal conductivity even at high temperatures
  • good release properties
  • No wetting by most molten metals
  • easy to clean

During welding and soldering, for example, spatter usually occurs between the nozzle and the nozzle holder, which can cause a short circuit – a disruptive effect that can be avoided by using HeBoSint® nozzles.

Benefits at a Glance

  • excellent resistance to thermal cycling
  • Excellent electrical insulation
  • good release properties
  • No wetting by most molten metals
  • easy to clean

Ideally suited for high-temperature furnace construction, HeBoSint® is able to withstand the extreme demands placed on it thanks to its outstanding thermal shock resistance and insulating properties.

Benefits at a Glance

  • excellent resistance to thermal cycling
  • Excellent electrical insulation
  • Ideal for use in vacuum or inert gas environments

HeBoSint® shielding frames and strips enhance the productivity, safety, and durability of PVD and plasma systems. In addition, they reliably contain the arcs within the correct boundaries. Henze’s highly qualified staff manufactures target frames and holders, bushings, protective tubes, and linings precisely according to your specifications.

Benefits at a glance

  • excellent resistance to thermal cycling
  • Excellent electrical insulation
  • good release properties
  • easy to clean

Components made from HeBoSint® are ideal for high-temperature applications. They are also used, for example, in the production of monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon wafers for solar modules and thin-film modules.

Benefits of HeBoSint®

  • excellent resistance to thermal cycling
  • Excellent electrical insulation
  • Ideal for use in vacuum or inert gas environments

Dripping solder can compromise the soldering result, as it tends to stick to soldering pads and fixtures during dip or vacuum soldering. A soldering pad made of HeBoSint® provides a solution to this problem.

Benefits at a Glance

  • Excellent resistance to thermal cycling
  • Excellent electrical insulation
  • good release properties
  • No wetting by most molten metals
  • easy to clean

Ideal e.g. for high-temperature applications where a thicker wall thickness is required. Wall thicknesses of up to 30 mm considerably increase the flexibility of component geometries. The pure white color is retained even under extreme conditions.

Advantages

  • excellent resistance to thermal cycling
  • Excellent electrical insulation
  • Component wall thicknesses up to 30 mm
  • white color

Thanks to the addition of zirconium oxide, HeBoSint® components are ideal for use when high mechanical stress and high wear resistance are required.

Advantages

  • excellent wear resistance
  • good release properties
  • No wetting by most molten metals
  • good machinability

HeBoCoat comprises liquid boron nitride coatings that are available on a water or solvent basis. They are applied to surfaces and provide an optimum release and lubrication effect in a wide range of applications.

These coatings are extremely versatile and are used, among other applications, in metal casting, where they provide the necessary release properties for mold materials, reduce wear, and make cleaning significantly easier. In PVD and plasma systems, metal shielding frames are coated with HeBoCoat® to simplify cleaning and save valuable process time. They are also used in metal forming processes, such as drawing, rolling, or pressing, as highly effective release and lubricating agents.

In sintering processes, HeBoCoat® coatings—applied, for example, to graphite sintering carriers—reliably prevent carburization of the components and ensure that the sintered material separates cleanly from the substrate. For pressure sintering on small surfaces, special HeBoCoat® sprays are also available, which provide the necessary release effect quickly and precisely.

HeBoCoat® sprays and suspensions reliably protect workpieces, system components and welding protection devices against the unwanted adhesion of welding and soldering spatter. This saves time and significantly increases the service life of welding nozzles and soldering tips. In laser processing, the extremely temperature-stable boron nitride layer acts as protection against atmospheric oxygen and smoke marks, prevents metal spatter from sticking and reduces burr formation during laser cutting.

HeBoFill® is our versatile product family of boron nitride powders. We offer a wide range of these products, which are primarily used as fillers to significantly increase the thermal conductivity of plastics. What makes them special is that the plastics’ excellent electrical insulation properties are fully preserved, making them ideal for thermal management applications, such as in the electronics industry.

The applications are extremely diverse. In aluminum extrusion, special HeBoFill® powders replace traditional release agents such as carbon black and ensure optimal lubrication between the aluminum billet and the extrusion die at high temperatures. In metal forming (such as drawing, rolling, or pressing), they also function as highly effective release and lubricating agents that cause neither carburization nor short circuits or contamination.

Yes, absolutely! HeBoFill® is a future-proof and high-performance alternative to PTFE, especially in view of the impending PFAS ban. It is physiologically harmless and retains its effect even under the most extreme conditions. In addition, our HeBoFill® LL-SP 010 and LL-SP 050 powders are NSF-certified (category HX-1) and may be used in lubricants with unintended food contact.

Yes. The storage and transport of molecular hydrogen (H2) require extremely high sealing performance. HeBoFill® can be used here as a diffusion barrier to enhance the barrier properties of the materials used and minimize hydrogen emissions.

HeBoLub® is an innovative and high-performance lubricant additive for engines, transmissions, and equipment. It consists of fine boron nitride particles dispersed in oil at a high concentration. When used as an additive in conventional lubricants, it demonstrably minimizes friction and wear.

HeBoLub® significantly reduces fuel and energy consumption by reducing friction. It also extends the life cycle of products and engines thanks to the excellent wear protection of the surfaces. A major advantage is that the boron nitride is immediately in position to lubricate the engine from a cold start – in contrast to pure engine oil, which first needs time to spread.

Thanks to the special properties of boron nitride, HeBoLub® significantly improves the high-temperature and emergency running properties of lubricants and increases their thermal conductivity. Due to the dry lubricating film that forms, the lubricity is maintained even under constantly high loads.

No. HeBoLub® is physiologically safe and highly compatible with seals and plastic materials. It also offers excellent creep and wetting properties, ensuring optimal distribution of the lubricant.

The outstanding thermal shock resistance is in demand across all industries, but particularly in metal casting and high-temperature furnace construction. In metal casting, it is used to produce durable crucibles, nozzles and molded parts that significantly increase the service life of tools and process reliability. In furnace construction, the material ensures reliability in the form of electrical insulation sleeves, heater supports or thermocouple protection tubes despite constant temperature changes..

Boron nitride products, especially our HeBoSint® materials, are inherently highly resistant to thermal shock. They can easily withstand sudden and extreme temperature changes without losing their structural integrity. This ensures efficient and absolutely safe process control, even when things get hot.

Extreme temperature fluctuations are an inevitable part of nearly all high-temperature processes. Plant components and tools are usually heated up very quickly—often due to sudden contact with extremely hot media such as molten metal—and then cool down rapidly. These abrupt fluctuations place enormous stress on conventional materials and can lead to cracks or component failure.

In many industries—such as metallurgy, sintering, the glass industry, and the energy and battery sectors—materials are subjected to extreme stress. They are constantly exposed to aggressive media, hot molten metals, process gases, or reactive residues. If a material cannot withstand these stresses and is corroded, this inevitably jeopardizes the stability of the entire process and drastically reduces the service life of the plant components.

Boron nitride is characterized by the fact that it is largely chemically inert. Our HeBoSint® components, such as melting pots or nozzles, are chemically resistant to many molten metals and can even withstand aggressive alloy components with ease. Just how extreme this stability is can also be seen in the aerospace industry: even in the aggressive environments of plasma drives for satellites, the material remains stable and does not react with the drive plasma..

Increasing power densities, increasingly compact designs, and higher process temperatures place enormous demands on thermal management in virtually all industrial sectors. In high-temperature and energy applications, there is often the seemingly contradictory challenge that components must dissipate heat highly efficiently while simultaneously providing essential electrical insulation. Conventional materials reach their limits here, whereas boron nitride combines precisely these versatile properties.

By nature, plastics do not have any significant thermal conductivity, although their use is increasing massively, particularly in the electronics sector. To solve this problem, we offer our HeBoFill® boron nitride powders. They are ideally suited as fillers to significantly increase the thermal conductivity of plastics while fully retaining their excellent electrical insulating properties. A major advantage for production: due to the low hardness of boron nitride, there is no tool wear during incorporation into the plastic and therefore no disruptive metal abrasion.

For components with extreme heat dissipation requirements, we have developed special high-performance mixed ceramics such as HeBoSint® SL-A 800. This material, based on aluminum nitride and boron nitride, impresses with its outstanding thermal conductivity of 115 W/mK and excellent electrical insulation. It is an ideal and cost-effective solution for state-of-the-art applications in semiconductor technology, power electronics, X-ray technology and aerospace.

In many high-temperature and energy applications, there is a seemingly contradictory requirement: components must provide reliable electrical insulation while simultaneously dissipating heat efficiently and withstanding extremely high temperatures. Conventional materials quickly reach their limits in this regard. Boron nitride, on the other hand, is a high-temperature-resistant industrial ceramic that combines precisely these versatile properties.

Boron nitride is used wherever maximum precision is required under extreme conditions. Typical examples include high-temperature furnace construction, where HeBoSint® materials are used as electrical insulation sleeves for heaters. In solar technology (photovoltaics), electrically insulating boron nitride ceramics protect the sensitive graphite or copper heating elements in the production of silicon wafers. Even in space, for example in plasma drives for satellites, the electrical insulation provided by boron nitride prevents short circuits and ensures a constant electrical field. It is also the proven material in PVD systems, where it ideally combines insulation, temperature resistance and non-stick properties.

As plastics naturally have no significant thermal conductivity, but their use in the electronics sector, for example, is constantly increasing, intelligent thermal management is required. Our HeBoFill® boron nitride powders are ideally suited as fillers to significantly increase the thermal conductivity of plastics while fully retaining their excellent electrical insulating properties. For solid components with even more extreme requirements, we also offer the high-performance mixed ceramic HeBoSint® SL-A 800, which combines outstanding thermal conductivity with excellent electrical insulation properties (specific electrical resistance >10^15 Ohm).

The selection of the right technical ceramic usually begins with a central question: Will the material and its properties withstand the demanding process conditions in the long term?? In many industries, conventional materials quickly reach their performance limits at high temperatures. Boron nitride, on the other hand, is an industrial ceramic that is naturally resistant to high temperatures and is a true all-rounder that reliably retains its unique properties – such as separating effect, insulation and thermal conductivity – even under extreme thermal loads.

Boron nitride is extremely temperature-stable. In an inert (oxygen-free) atmosphere, for example, the material remains stable up to 2,000 °C. Our sintered components (HeBoSint®) can withstand extremely high thermal loads – we manufacture our sintered bodies in our own hot presses even at maximum temperatures of up to 2,200 °C. But it’s not just solid components that benefit: our HeBoFill® powders and HeBoLub® lubricant additives also retain their excellent lubricating and separating effect even at the highest temperatures..

The thermal stability of our products is in demand in countless high-temperature applications. In high-temperature furnace construction, they guarantee safe process control as heat-resistant insulation sleeves and heater supports. In laser processing, an extremely temperature-stable boron nitride layer protects components from hot metal splashes and oxidation.. A particularly impressive example of the resistance of boron nitride is the aerospace industry: in plasma drives for satellites, the material proves its ability not only to dissipate extreme heat effectively, but also to withstand the extreme low temperatures in space without any problems.

Whenever high temperatures, pressure, or molten materials come into contact with tools and components during the processing of metals, glass, or ceramic materials, unwanted deposits frequently form. These can disrupt the process, cause tool wear, and result in extremely labor-intensive cleaning tasks.

Boron nitride is a true all-rounder and has an excellent release and lubricating effect by nature. The use of sintered HeBoSint® components, HeBoFill® powders or liquid HeBoCoat® coatings creates an extremely temperature-resistant non-stick effect on the surfaces. This layer is chemically inert and reliably prevents process media or hot metal splashes from sticking to the components.

The release properties of our products solve adhesion problems in countless industries:
  • Sintering technology: HeBoSint® substrates and HeBoCoat® coatings reliably prevent the sintered material from sticking to the substrate.
  • Welding, soldering, and laser processing: These coatings protect welding nozzles, soldering tips, and workpieces from unwanted adhesion of welding spatter, solder spatter, and metal spatter. In laser processing, they also reduce burr formation, as molten residue can flow away more easily.
  • Metal Casting & PVD Systems: HeBoCoat® provides the necessary release effect for channel materials in casting and makes cleaning easier. The non-stick effect also makes it significantly easier to clean metal shielding frames in PVD and plasma systems, saving valuable process time.