Correlations between microstructure and dielectric properties of hexagonal boron nitride

Hexagonal boron nitride is a material with a unique combination of mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties and therefore of considerable technical and commercial interest. Nevertheless, there exists only very limited knowledge concerning the correlation of microstructure and electrical and dielectrical properties of such materials. In this work, the microstructure, dielectric breakdown resistance (dielectric strength), and low permittivity of different BN ceramics and composites were investigated. Besides exhibiting a very high specific electrical resistivity of 10¹³–10¹⁵ Ω cm, the materials had excellent dielectric strengths (up to 53 kV/mm) and low electrical permeability (4.1). The dielectric strength depended strongly on the porosity and to a lesser extent on the content of secondary phases, whereas the permittivity was influenced by the secondary phases. The aging of the materials in humid air did not significantly alter these values. The permittivity was found to be independent of frequency between 0.1 MHz and 10 MHz and temperature up to 300 °C.