Mechanochemical Synthesis of Polymer-Containing Composites Based on Boron Nitride

The effect of high-energy mechanical treatment on the formation of the structural-phase state of highly filled composite powders UHMWPE/BN, UPTFE/BN, UHMWPE/Fe/BN, UPTFE/Fe/BN is investigated. Mechanochemical synthesis of composites was carried out in a water-cooled planetary ball mill in the atmosphere of argon. The phase composition and structural characteristics were studied by means of X-ray phase analysis and IR spectroscopy. It was established that Fe/BN composites are formed as a result of mechanical treatment for 2 min in the mixture of iron with hexagonal boron nitride hBN; in addition, the phases of cubic boron nitride cBN, iron nitride FeN 0.056, and iron boride Fe 2B appear. During the mechanochemical synthesis of the composites of Fe/BN with polymers UHMWPE and UPTFE, the size of the crystallites of cubic boron nitride increases slightly. Mechanical treatment of the mixtures of polymers with hBN is not accompanied by the transition of hexagonal boron nitride to the cubic modification, and the size of hBN crystallites decreases slower in comparison with the mixtures with the Fe/BN composite. IR spectroscopic studies showed that the size of the original particles of hBN affects the change in the supramolecular structure of the polymer, while the polymer molecules are not destroyed.