Periodic Table of Elements

Element Boron - B

Comprehensive data on the chemical element Boron is provided on this page; including scores of properties, element names in many languages, most known nuclides of Boron. Common chemical compounds are also provided for many elements. In addition technical terms are linked to their definitions and the menu contains links to related articles that are a great aid in one's studies.

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Overview of Boron

Boron's Name in Other Languages

  • Latin: Borum
  • Czech: Bor
  • Croatian: Bor
  • French: Bore
  • German: Bor - r
  • Italian: Boro
  • Norwegian: Bor
  • Portuguese: Bóro
  • Russian: Бор
  • Spanish: Boro
  • Swedish: Bor

Atomic Structure of Boron

Chemical Properties of Boron

Physical Properties of Boron

Regulatory / Health

  • CAS Number
    • 7440-42-8
  • OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)
    • No limits set by OSHA
  • OSHA PEL Vacated 1989
    • No limits set by OSHA
  • NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL)
    • No limits set by NIOSH
  • Levels In Humans:
    Note: this data represents naturally occuring levels of elements in the typical human, it DOES NOT represent recommended daily allowances.
    • Blood/mg dm-3: 0.13
    • Bone/p.p.m: 1.1-3.3
    • Liver/p.p.m: 0.4-3.3
    • Muscle/p.p.m: 0.33-1
    • Daily Dietary Intake: 1-3 mg
    • Total Mass In Avg. 70kg human: 18 mg
  • Discovery Year: 1808
  • Name Origin:
    From borax and carbon.
  • Abundance of Boron:
    • Earth's Crust/p.p.m.: 950
    • Seawater/p.p.m.: 4.41
    • Atmosphere/p.p.m.: N/A
    • Sun (Relative to H=1E12): 2.63
  • Sources of Boron:
    Obtained from kernite, a kind of borax (Na2B4O7·10H2O). Annual world wide production around 1,000,000 tons per year (B2O3). Main mining areas are USA, Tibet, Chile, Turkey
  • Uses of Boron:
    Used with titanium and tungsten to make light weight heat resistant alloys. Also tennis rackets, regulators in nuclear plants, heat resistant glass and eye disinfectant.
  • Additional Notes:
    Boron is never found in the elemental form in nature. It was first obtained by Moissan in 1895 by reduction of boric anhydride (B2O3) with magnesium in a thermite-type reaction (Moissan, Ann. Chim Phys 7:6, 296, 1895). This is still used for obtaining large quantities of impure boron. Highly purified crystalline boron is obtained by vapor phase reduction of the compound boron trichloride with hydrogen on electrically heated filaments in a flow system (Stern, Lynds, Journal of Electrochemical Society, 105, 676. 1958).

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References

A list of reference sources used to compile the data provided on our periodic table of elements can be found on the main periodic table page.

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