Hydrodynamics-assisted scalable production of boron nitride nanosheets and their application in improving oxygen-atom erosion resistance of polymeric composites

Searching for a method for low-cost, easily manageable, and scalable production of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) and exploring their novel applications are highly important. For the first time we demonstrate that a novel and effective hydrodynamics method, which involves multiple exfoliation mechanisms and thus leads to much higher yield and efficiency, can realize large-scale production of BNNSs. The exfoliation mechanisms that multiple fluid dynamics events contribute towards normal and lateral exfoliation processes could be applied to other layered materials. Up to ~95% of the prepared BNNSs are less than 3.5 nm thick with a monolayer fraction of ~37%. Compared to the conventional sonication and ball milling-based methods, the hydrodynamics method has the advantages of possessing multiple efficient ways for exfoliating BN, being low-cost and environmentally-friendly, producing high quality BNNSs in high yield and efficiency, and achieving concentrated BNNSs dispersions even in mediocre solvents. It is also shown for the first time that BNNSs can be utilized as fillers to improve the oxygen-atom erosion resistance of epoxy composites which are widely used for spacecraft in low earth orbit (LEO) where atom oxygen abounds. An addition of only 0.5 wt% BNNSs can result in a 70% decrease in the mass loss of epoxy composites after atom oxygen exposure equivalent to 160 days in an orbit of ~300 km. Overall, the demonstrated hydrodynamics method shows great potential in large-scale production of BNNSs in industry in terms of yield, efficiency, and environmental friendliness; and the innovative application of BNNSs to enhancing oxygen-atom erosion resistance of polymeric composites in space may provide a novel route for designing light spacecraft in LEO.