Boron

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the chemical element. For other uses, see Boron (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with element bohrium (Bh) or compound borium.
"Element 5" redirects here. For the "quintessence" of classical philosophy, see Aether (classical
element).

Boron, 5B

boron (-rhombohedral)[1]

General properties

Pronunciation /brn/

Allotropes -, -rhombohedral, -tetragonal (and more)

Appearance black-brown

Standard atomic weight (Ar, standard) [10.806, 10.821] conventional: 10.81[2]

Boron in the periodic table

H H
yd eli
ro u
ge m
n
Li Be B Ca Ni Ox Fl N
B
thi ryl or rb tro yg uo eo
u liu on on ge en rin n
m m n e
So M Al Sil Ph Sul C Ar A
di ag u ico os fur hl go l
u ne mi n ph ori n
m siu ni or ne
m u us
 m
Po Ca Sc Tit V Ch M Ir Co Nic Co Zi Ga Ge Ar Sel Br Kr
ta lci an ani an ro an on bal kel pp nc lli rm se eni o yp
ssi u di um ad mi ga t er u ani nic um mi to
u m u iu um ne m u ne n
m m m se m
R Str Yt Zir Ni Mo Te R Rh Pal Sil Ca In Ti An Tel Io X
ub on tri con ob lyb ch ut od lad ver dm di n ti lur di en
idi tiu u iu iu de net he iu iu iu u m iu ne on
u m m m m nu iu ni m m m m on m
m m m u y
m
C Ba La C Pra Ne Pr Sa Eu Ga Te Dy Ho Er Th Yt Lu Haf Ta Tu Rh Os Iri Pla Go Me Th Le Bi Pol As Ra
ae riu nt er seo od om m ro do rb spr lm bi uli ter teti niu nt ngs eni mi di tin ld rcu all ad sm oni tat do
si m ha iu dy ym eth ari pi lin iu osi iu u um bi um m al ten u u u um ry iu ut um in n
u nu m mi iu iu u u iu m u m m u u m m m (el m h e
m m um m m m m m m m m em
ent
)
Fr Ra Ac T Pro Ur Ne Pl A Cu B Ca Ei F Me N La Rut D Se Bo H M Da Ro Co Ni Fl M Li Te O
an di tin h tact ani ptu ut m riu er lif nst er nd ob wr her ub ab hri as eit rm ent per ho er os ver nn ga
ci u iu or ini um niu on eri m ke or ein m ele eli en for ni org u si ne sta ge nic ni ov co mo es ne
u m m iu um m iu ci liu ni iu iu viu u ciu diu u iu m u riu dti niu iu u iu vi riu si ss
m m m u m u m mm m m m m m m m um m m m m u m ne on
m m m
beryllium boron carbon

Atomic number (Z) 5

Group, period group 13 (boron group), period 2

Block p-block

Element category metalloid

Electron configuration [He] 2s2 2p1

Electrons per shell 2, 3

Physical properties

Phase (at STP) solid

Melting point 2349 K (2076 C, 3769 F)

Boiling point 4200 K (3927 C, 7101 F)

Density when liquid (at m.p.) 2.08 g/cm3

Heat of fusion 50.2 kJ/mol

Heat of vaporization 508 kJ/mol

Molar heat capacity 11.087 J/(molK)

Vapor pressure

P (Pa) 1 10 100 1k 10 k 100 k

at T (K) 2348 2562 2822 3141 3545 4072

Atomic properties

Oxidation states 3, 2, 1, 1, 5[3][4] (a mildly acidic oxide)

Electronegativity Pauling scale: 2.04

1st: 800.6 kJ/mol

Ionization energies
2nd: 2427.1 kJ/mol

3rd: 3659.7 kJ/mol

(more)

Atomic radius empirical: 90 pm

Covalent radius 843 pm

Van der Waals radius 192 pm

Spectral lines

Miscellanea

Crystal structure rhombohedral

Speed of soundthin rod 16,200 m/s (at 20 C)

Thermal expansion form: 57 m/(mK) (at 25 C)[5]

Thermal conductivity 27.4 W/(mK)

 Electrical resistivity ~106 m (at 20 C)

Magnetic ordering diamagnetic[6]

Magnetic susceptibility 6.7106 cm3/mol[7]

Mohs hardness ~9.5

CAS Number 7440-42-8

History

Discovery Joseph Louis Gay-Lussacand Louis Jacques Thnard[8] (30

June 1808)

First isolation Humphry Davy[9](9 July 1808)

Main isotopes of boron

Iso- Abun- Half- Decay Pro-

tope dance life(t1/2) mode duct
10
B 20% stable[10]
11
B 80% stable[10]

10B content may be as low as 19.1% and as high as 20.3% in natural samples. 11B is the remainder in such cases.[11]

view

talk

edit

| references | in Wikidata

Boron is a chemical element with symbol B and atomic number 5. Produced entirely by cosmic
ray spallation and supernovae and not by stellar nucleosynthesis, it is a low-abundance element
in the Solar system and in the Earth's crust.[13] Boron is concentrated on Earth by the water-
solubility of its more common naturally occurring compounds, the borate minerals. These are
mined industrially as evaporites, such as borax and kernite. The largest known boron deposits
are in Turkey, the largest producer of boron minerals.
Elemental boron is a metalloid that is found in small amounts in meteoroids but chemically
uncombined boron is not otherwise found naturally on Earth. Industrially, very pure boron is
produced with difficulty because of refractory contamination by carbon or other elements.
Several allotropes of boron exist: amorphous boron is a brown powder; crystalline boron is
silvery to black, extremely hard (about 9.5 on the Mohs scale), and a poor electrical conductor at
room temperature. The primary use of elemental boron is as boron filaments with applications
similar to carbon fibers in some high-strength materials.
Boron is primarily used in chemical compounds. About half of all boron 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 refractory
materials. Borosilicate glass is desired for its greater strength and thermal shock resistance than
ordinary soda lime glass. Boron compounds are used as fertilizers in agriculture and in sodium
perborate bleaches. A small amount of boron is used as a dopant in semiconductors,
and reagent intermediates in the synthesis of organic fine chemicals. A few boron-containing
organic pharmaceuticals are used or are in study. Natural boron is composed of two stable
isotopes, one of which (boron-10) has a number of uses as a neutron-capturing agent.
In biology, borates have low toxicity in mammals (similar to table salt), but are more toxic
to arthropods and are used as insecticides. Boric acid is mildly antimicrobial, and several natural
boron-containing organic antibiotics are known.[14] Boron compounds play a strengthening role in
the cell walls of all plants, making boron a necessary plant nutrient. There is no consensus on
whether boron is an essential nutrient for mammals, including humans, although there is some
evidence it supports bone health.