Facts about Boron
The element is nontoxic to humans, and common compounds (such as boric acid and borates) have low toxicity, but some specialized boron hydrogen compounds are toxic and highly flammable.
The results showed that boron can drop excretion of calcium by 44 percent, and activate estrogen and vitamin D.
To avoid this effect in critical semiconductor designs, "depleted boron" (consisting almost entirely of 11B) is used.
Boron filaments are useful for making composites for advanced aerospace structures, golf clubs, and fishing rods.
Like carbon, boron nitride exists in a second form that has structural and lubricating qualities similar to those of graphite.
The isotope boron-10 is used to control reactions in nuclear reactors and as a shield against radiation from radioactive materials.
Amorphous boron is a brown powder and is produced by certain chemical reactions.
Boron is similar to carbon in terms of being able to form stable, covalently bonded molecular networks.
Elemental boron is used as a dopant in the semiconductor industry and as a material that produces a green flame in pyrotechnic flares.
Borax glazes were used in China from 300 C.E., and boron compounds were used in glassmaking in ancient Rome.
Boron nitride nanotubes can be constructed in a form analogous to carbon nanotubes.
Economically important sources of boron are kernite and borax ores, both of which are found in the Mojave Desert of California, with borax being the main source there.
Boron nitride can be used to make crystals that are extremely hard—second in hardness only to diamond.
Boron (chemical symbol “B,” atomic number “5”) is a chemical element that is classified as a metalloid—its chemical properties are intermediate between those of metals and nonmetals.
The boron produced, however, is almost always contaminated with the metal boride.
The best characterized crystalline forms are: two rhombohedral forms, ?-boron and ?-boron, containing 12 and 106.7 atoms in each rhombohedral unit cell, respectively; and a tetragonal, 50-atom form.
By reducing boric acid (H3BO3 or B(OH)3) with sodium or magnesium, they obtained boron at about 50 percent purity.
When boric acid is melted, it is converted to boron oxide (B2O3), which can then be reduced with a metal such as magnesium or aluminum.
By contrast, crystalline (metallic) boron is black in color and extremely hard (9.3 on Mohs' scale).
Some of the more exotic boron hydrogen compounds, however, are toxic as well as highly flammable and do require special handling care.
Pure boron can be prepared by reducing volatile boron halogenides with hydrogen at high temperatures.
The reactions of boron are dominated by this requirement for electrons.
Boron is an essential plant nutrient, but its physiological role (if any) in humans and animals is poorly understood.
The name boron can be traced to the Arabic buraq, Persian burah, and Turkish bor, which are words for borax.
The polar B-N bonds interfere with electron transfer, so that boron nitride in this form is not an electrical conductor.
Highly pure boron, for use in the semiconductor industry, is produced by the high-temperature decomposition of diborane (B2H6), followed by what is called the Czochralski process.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted an experiment in which postmenopausal women took three milligrams of boron a day.
Boron nitride is a material in which the extra electron of the nitrogen atom (compared to a carbon atom) in some ways compensates for the boron atom's deficiency of an electron (compared to carbon).
Boron seems to affect the way the body handles other minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. It also seems to increase estrogen levels in older (post-menopausal) women and healthy men. Estrogen is thought to be helpful in maintaining healthy bones and mental function.
Boron is fairly rare in the solar system and makes up only 0.001% of the Earth's crust, but its naturally occurring compounds are quite common. Some common compounds of boron are borax, boric acid, colemanite, kernite, ulexite, and borates.
NameBoronSymbolBAtomic Number5Atomic Mass10.811 atomic mass unitsNumber of Protons59 more rows
Boron is not present in nature in elemental form. It is found combined in borax, boric acid, kernite, ulexite, colemanite and borates. Vulcanic spring waters sometime contains boric acids. Borates are mined in US, Tibet, Chile and Turkey, with world production being about 2 million tonnes per year.
Amorphous boron is used as a rocket fuel igniter and in pyrotechnic flares. It gives the flares a distinctive green colour. The most important compounds of boron are boric (or boracic) acid, borax (sodium borate) and boric oxide. These can be found in eye drops, mild antiseptics, washing powders and tile glazes.
Boron deficiency first affects the cell walls or reproductive organs. However, with severe boron deficiency, stunted growth and death of growth tissue can be found. ... While boron is an important nutrient on its own, it also has a positive impact on the uptake of potassium and phosphorus in many plants.Feb 5, 2014
Boron helps control the transport of sugars in plants. It is important to cell division and seed development. As a micronutrient, the amount of boron in soil is minute, but among micronutrients, boron deficiency in plants is the most common.Nov 26, 2016
Boron Products for Agriculture. Etidot 67 Use in Agriculture. Boron is an essential nutrient for growth and development of healthy plants. Boron compounds are used in small concentrations as micronutrients in fertilizers. When used in large concentrations they function as herbicides, algaecides and other pesticides.
Boron also protects bones because of its role in regulating estrogen function. Additionally, studies show boron can help the body produce and use vitamin D better, which is a crucial nutrient for healthy bone formation, in addition to many other things like immune function and cognitive processes.May 9, 2015
It is the most widespread micronutrient deficiency around the world and causes large losses in crop production and crop quality. Boron deficiency affects vegetative and reproductive growth of plants, resulting in inhibition of cell expansion, death of meristem, and reduced fertility.