Boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) has similar tubular nanostructure as carbon nanotube (CNT) in which boron and nitrogen atoms arranged in a hexagonal network. Owing to the unique atomic structure, BNNT has numerous excellent intrinsic properties such as superior mechanical strength , high thermal conductivity, electrically insulating behavior, piezoelectric property, neutron shielding capability, and oxidation resistance. Since BNNT was first synthesized in 1995, developing efficient BNNT production route has been a significant issue due to low yield and poor quality in comparison with CNT, thus limiting its practical uses. However, many great successes in BNNT synthesis have been achieved in recent years, enabling access to this material and paving the way for the development of promising applications. In this article, we discussed current progress in the production of boron nitride nanotube, focusing on the most common and effective methods that have been well established so far. In addition, we presented various applications of BNNT including polymer composite reinforcement, thermal management packages, piezo actuators, and neutron shielding nanomaterial.

中文翻译：

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氮化硼纳米管：合成与应用。

氮化硼纳米管（BNNT）具有与碳纳米管（CNT）类似的管状纳米结构，其中硼和氮原子排列成六边形网络。由于独特的原子结构，BNNT具有许多出色的固有特性，例如卓越的机械强度，高导热性，电绝缘性能，压电特性，中子屏蔽能力和抗氧化性。自1995年首次合成BNNT以来，由于与CNT相比收率低和质量差，开发有效的BNNT生产路线一直是一个重要问题，因此限制了其实际应用。但是，近年来，在BNNT合成中取得了许多巨大的成功，这使得获得这种材料成为可能，并为有前途的应用开发铺平了道路。在本文中，我们讨论了氮化硼纳米管生产中的最新进展，重点介绍了迄今为止已确立的最常见和最有效的方法。此外，我们介绍了BNNT的各种应用，包括聚合物复合材料增强材料，热管理软件包，压电致动器和中子屏蔽纳米材料。