Boron

Properties
Atomic symbol |  B
Atomic number |  5
Classification |  Non-metal
Atomic mass |  10.8 amu
Other Information
Date of discovery |  1808
Name of discoverer |  Sir Humphrey Davy and J. L. Gay-Lussac
Name origin |  From the names Borax and Carbon.
Uses |  Boron is used to make heat resistant alloys
Obtained from |  kernite

Boron is the chemical element with atomic number 5 and chemical symbol B. It is a metalloid - it shares some properties with the metals, but lacks others.[1]

## Contents

* 1 Chemical Properties
* 2 Isotopes
* 3 Occurrence in Nature
* 4 Uses
* 5 References

## Chemical Properties[edit]

Boron melts at 2349 Kelvin (K) and boils at 4200K. Pure boron comes in two forms: a brown powder or a black, non-conductive crystal.

## Isotopes[edit]

There are two stable isotopes of boron - 10B and 11B - and eleven short-lived radioactive isotopes. The most common isotope is 11B, with a prevalence of 80.1%. Due to their very short half-lives the radioisotopes are rarely found in nature.

## Occurrence in Nature[edit]

Only about 0.001% of Earth's crust consists of boron. The two main producers of commercial boron are the USA and Turkey, with Turkey having about 72% of the known commercially viable deposits. Due to its reactivity boron is not found in elemental form, but is commercially extracted from a number of compounds including borax and boric acid.

## Uses[edit]

Boron has a large number of commercial uses. Its low thermal expansion makes it an essential element in heat-resistant glass, such as Pyrex. Boron fibres are used in high-strength composites for the aerospace industry and in high-end golf clubs and fishing rods. A number of boron compounds are extremely hard, and these are used in abrasives and machine tool bits. Boron is also an essential component of Neodymium (rare earth metal) magnets, which are used in high quality loudspeakers and many other applications.

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Boron, Los Alamos National Labs

Periodic Table of the Elements

1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10  | 11  | 12  | 13  | 14  | 15  | 16  | 17  | 18

1.008

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

4.003

6.939

9.0122

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

10.811

12.011

14.007

15.999

18.998

10.183

22.99

24.312

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

26.982

28.086

30.974

32.064

35.453

39.948

39.102

40.08

44.956

47.9

50.942

51.996

54.938

55.847

58.933

58.71

63.546

65.37

69.72

72.59

74.922

78.96

79.904

83.8

85.47

87.62

88.905

91.22

92.906

95.94

[97]

101.07

102.91

106.4

107.87

112.4

114.82

118.69

121.75

127.6

126.9

131.3

132.91

137.34

57*

138.91

178.49

180.95

183.85

186.2

190.2

192.2

195.09

196.97

200.59

204.37

207.19

208.98

210

210

222

215

226.03

89**

227.03

104

[261]

105

[262]

106

[266]

107

[264]

108

[265]

109

[268]

110

[271]

111

[272]

112

[277]

113

[284]

114

[289]

115

[288]

116

[292]

117

[293]

118

[294]

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
*Lanthanides  |

140.12

140.91

144.24

145

150.35

151.96

157.25

158.92

162.5

164.93

167.26

168.93

173.04

174.97

|  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
**Actinides  |

232.04

231

238.03

237.05

239.05

241.06

244.06

249.08

252.08

252.08

100

257.1

101

258.1

102

259.1

103

262.11

|  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |