Direct elementary reactions of boron and nitrogen at high pressures and temperatures

Highly exothermic direct reactions between elements boron and nitrogen at high pressures and temperatures yield technologically important forms of hexagonal and cubic boron nitride (BN). The crystal structures of the reaction products vary with pressure. Below 10 GPa, hexagonal BN is the product; cubic or wurzite BN form at higher pressures. Under nitrogen-rich conditions, another hexagonal allotrope occurs; this seems to be a highly transparent, low density h^'-BN. No direct reactions occur at ambient temperature even at pressures as high as 50 GPa, implying that a large activation barrier limits the kinetics of these exothermic processes. Direct reactions between boron and oxygen are also discussed.