Boron Nitride for the food industry
It has been corroborated through studies that PTFE, better known as Teflon, commonly used as a solid lubricant in polymers in contact with food, can cause harmful damage to health due to its carcinogenic nature. Boron Nitride is a real and healthy alternative (NSF food contact safe certified) to PTFE or Teflon, which can also be used as a filler in polymers due to its excellent lubrication properties. This solid powder lubricant is effective in providing the necessary properties during the food film manufacturing process, ensuring that the plastic film does not stick to the machinery during the extrusion process.
Due to its lubricating, non-stick, electrical insulating and thermal conducting properties, Boron Nitride is becoming increasingly important as an additive in plastics and lubricants, also for applications in the food sector.
Boron nitride has a boron oxide (B2O3) content which is usually low or very low. Although boron oxide is classified as reprotoxic it is harmless in low concentrations. Materials containing less than 0.1% by weight of boron oxide are currently permitted for use in the manufacturing (e.g. when extruding plastics to avoid/minimise surface defects) of food contact products. Currently our boron nitride grades HeBoFill® LL-SP 010 and HeBoFill®LLL-SP 050 contain less than the maximum permissible percentage making them NSF certified and suitable for use in the food sector.
Boron Nitride can be an alternative when using PTFE / Teflon as a powder additive in oils/pastes and plastics, and can therefore be used in the following industries:
- Automotive
- Chemical
- Electrical engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Pharmaceuticals
- Food
- and many other industrial branches
Hexagonal Boron Nitride (hBN) vs PTFE / Teflon
PROPERTIES | hBN | PTFE |
Low hardness | ||
High temperature stability | ||
Chemical stability | ||
Electrical insulation | ||
Low thermal expansion | ||
Flame retardant | ||
Low density | ||
Excellent lubrication behaviour, low coefficient of friction | ||
Non wetting behaviour with water and molten metals | ||
Physiologically safe to use (NSF Certified) | ||
High thermal conductivity |
HeBoFill® – Boron Nitride Powder
A wide range of Boron Nitride powders designed to meet a variety of customised applications.
These Boron Nitride particles, when used as additives, improve the thermal conductivity of plastics. They are also very good electrical insulators and provide the dispersion and lubrication properties needed in the most demanding coatings and plastic parts.
As there is a wide variety of situations and processes in which HeBoFill® Boron Nitride powder can be applied, we recommend two products within the range:
- HeBoFill® LL-SP 010: A boron nitride powder with lubrication and release properties, as well as being electrically insulating, it is suitable for applications involving thin coatings. In an oxidising atmosphere, it is resistant to temperatures of 900°C and up to 2000°C in an inert atmosphere. It is used as a release agent, lubricant and non-stick additive in food contact (NSF certified).
- HeBoFill®LLL-SP 050: A pure boron nitride powder with excellent lubrication and release properties. The specific surface area and particle size are in the medium range. As a result, it is frequently used as an additive in liquid release agents and lubricants (NSF Certified).
Learn about other applications of Boron Nitride.
