Carbon nanotube mat/boron nitride composite materials for aerospace applications

Boron nitride (BN) is a coating material that can overcome the shortcomings of CNT mat. In this study, a CNT mat-BN composite was fabricated in a layer-by-layer manner using chemical vapor deposition. Raman, Fourier transform infrared, and electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses revealed that the coating layer consists of sp2-hybridized BN. The CNT mat-BN composite had improved oxidation resistance owing to the oxygen-blocking capability and stability of the coating layer. Moreover, the composite exhibited neutron shielding ability owing to the well-dispersed B10 atoms in BN. Because CNT mat-BN was chemically strongly bonded owing to the penetration of BN and the subsequent formation of CN covalent bonds, the slippage of CNT bundles under high stress was prevented, enhancing the tensile strength. BN coating on a CNT mat provided increased tensile strength, neutron-shielding ability, and high oxidation resistance.