Boron
BoronBoron
My report is on Boron. Boron is a hard, brittle
semimetallic element with
an atomic number of 5. Boron is in group 13 of the periodic
table
Compounds of boron, borax, have been known since
early years.
Although the pure element was first prepared in 1808 by a
Frenchmen
named Joseph Gay-Lussac as well as Baron Louis Thenard.
Boron is needed
for plant growth and is important for bone health in
humans and other
vertebrates.
The atomic weight of boron is 10.81. It melts at
about 3956oF and
boils at about 6602oF. It has a specific gravity of 2.35.
The original sources of boron compounds were the
minerals borax
and boric acid. Boron ranks about 38th in natural abundance
among the
elements in the earth�s crust.
Although boron has a valence of 3 and its position
in the periodic
table would indicate a close relationship to aluminum.
Borax is used in
cleaning compounds, glass and ceramics, fertilizers, paper
and paints, and
fire retardants. Boric acid is used medically for its
astringent and antiseptic
properties. Boron carbide is used as an abrasive and
alloying agent.
Boron is used in instruments designed to detect and
count slow
neutrons, it is employed as a control absorber in nuclear
reactors and as a
constituent material of neutron shields.