| a white powder, BN, formed by heating boron in nitrogen. In its ordinary form, it has a structure of stacked layers of hexagonal rings, very similar to that of graphite, and is used as a refractory electrical insulator. |
boron nitride
(chemical formula BN), synthetically produced crystalline compound of boron and nitrogen, an industrial ceramic material of limited but important application, principally in electrical insulators and cutting tools. It is made in two crystallographic forms, hexagonal boron nitride (H-BN) and cubic boron nitride (C-BN).
Learn more about boron nitride with a free trial on Britannica.com.