Boron: the essentialsBoron is a Group 13 element that has properties which are borderline between metals and non-metals (semimetallic). It is a semiconductor rather than a metallic conductor. Chemically it is closer to silicon than to aluminium, gallium, indium, and thallium. Crystalline boron is inert chemically and is resistant to attack by boiling HF or HCl. When finely divided it is attacked slowly by hot concentrated nitric acid.
Boron: historical informationBoron compounds have been known for thousands of years, but the element was not isolated until 1808 by Sir Humphry Davy, Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac (1778-1850) and Louis Jaques Thenard (1777-1857). This was accomplished through the reaction of boric acid (H3BO3) with potassium. Boron: physical properties
Boron: orbital properties
IsolationIsolation: it is not normally necessary to make boron in the laboratory and it would normally be purchased as it is available commercially. The most common sources of boron are tourmaline, borax [Na2B4O5(OH)4.8H2O], and kernite [Na2B4O5(OH)4.2H2O]. It is difficult to obtain pure. It can be made through the magnesium reduction of the oxide, B2O3. The oxide is made by melting boric acid, B(OH)3, which in turn is obtained from borax. B2O3 + 3Mg → 2B + 3MgO Samm amounts of high purity boron are available through the thermal decomposition of compounds such as BBr3 with hydrogen gas using a heated tantalum wire. Results are better with hot wires at tmeperatures over 1000°C. WebElements ShopWebElements now has a WebElements shop at which you can buy periodic table posters, mugs, T-shirts, games, molecular models, and more.
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Melting point
Boiling point
Density of solid
Pauling electronegativity
First ionisation energy
Second ionisation energy
