Why does hexagonal boron nitride conduct heat and not conduct electricity?

First of all, we need to understand why a substance conducts electricity. We need to have these characteristics:

Electronic conductor, which is conductive with electron carriers as the main body, such as Cu, Ag, Au and other metals and graphite.

Ionic conductivity refers to the conductivity with ionic carriers as the main body, such as NaCl (melting) and NaOH (melting).

A hybrid conductor has both carrier electrons and ions.

In addition, some electrical phenomena are not caused by carrier migration, but by solid polarization induced by electric field, such as dielectric phenomena and dielectric materials.

Hexagonal boron nitride does not have ions. It is a covalent compound and cannot conduct electricity like graphite. Graphite can conduct electricity because it adopts SP2 hybridization and has a free electron. The hexagonal uses SP3 hybrid method, which has no free electrons, so it does not act as an ionic conductor.

Learn more about this product: Hexagonal Boron Nitride