Boron
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| General Properties | |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 5 |
| Atomic mass | 10.811amu |
| Atomic radius | 85pm |
| Electron Configuration | [He] 2s2 2p1 |
| Density | 2.460g/cm3 |
| Melting point | 2076°C |
| Boiling point | 3927°C |
| First discovered/ developed | 1824 |
| Most common compound on Earth | B(OH)3 (Boric Acid) |
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Description and uses
Boron is the 5th element in the periodic table. It only occurs naturally in minerals such as borax and colemanite. These minerals are examples of borates -
boron-oxygen anions (negative ions). Boron itself was first discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy, and he named it “boracium”. Since then, it was renamed to boron - a
mix of “borax” (one of its compounds) and “carbon” (as they are similar looking).
Boron is mainly used in glass and fibreglass. This is because boron fibres are very strong, and the help reinforce the glass, making it more durable and easier to
work with during production.
Boron nitrate compounds are known to be some of the hardest substances known. They are also cheaper to manufacture and they are more heat resistant, making them
one of the best substances to use in steelwork. One boron nitride compound “wurtzite” is thought to be harder than diamond, although it is only theoretical, as it
has never formed a crystal structure.
Borax (aka sodium tetraborate) is another boron compound that has found many household uses, such as a cleaning agent. It is also used in control rods of nuclear
reactors due to its high cross section - its ability to absorb a neutron.
Boron has 2 isotopes: 10B and 11B. Boron-11 is the most common form of boron, taking up around 80.35% of boron molecules. Boron-10 is the
less common form, taking up around 19.65% of boron molecules. It is mainly used for neutron capture, either in the form of boric acid, or in control rods.