Boron

Position of boron in the periodic table.

Boron is a chemical element with the symbol B and atomic number 5. In its crystalline form it is a brittle, dark, lustrous metalloid; in its amorphous form it is a brown powder. As the lightest element of the boron group it has three valence electrons for forming covalent bonds, resulting in many compounds such as boric acid, the mineral sodium borate, and the ultra-hard crystals of boron carbide and boron nitride.

Uses

Boron is primarily used in chemical compounds. About half of all production consumed globally is an additive in fiberglass for insulation and structural materials. The next leading use is in polymers and ceramics in high-strength, lightweight structural and heat-resistant materials. Borosilicate glass is desired for its greater strength and thermal shock resistance than ordinary soda lime glass. As sodium perborate, it is used as a bleach. A few boron-containing organic pharmaceuticals are used or are in study.

Borates have low toxicity in mammals (similar to table salt) but are more toxic to arthropods and are occasionally used as insecticides. Boron-containing organic antibiotics are known. Although only traces are required, it is an essential plant nutrient.

Dependencies

• Boron
  • Ceramic
  • Fiberglass
  • Glass

• Hydrogen
• Oxygen
  • Boric acid

See also

• Arsenic
• Silicon
• Chemical elements

References

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Boron, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License (view authors).