Isotopes of boron

Isotope data
boron symbol icon

Both isotopes of Boron, B-10 and B-11, are used extensively in the nuclear industry. B-10 is used in the form of boric acid as a chemical shim in pressurized water reactors while in the form of sodium pentaborate it is used for standby liquid control systems in boiling water reactors. B-11 can be used as a neutron reflector. Outside the nuclear industry both isotopes are used as food label to study boron metabolism. B-10 is also used in so-called boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Both B-10 and B-11 can be used for the production of two radioisotopes: C-11 and N-13. Boron isotopes can be obtained from Trace Sciences International.

Naturally occurring isotopes

This table shows information about naturally occuring isotopes, their atomic masses, their natural abundances, their nuclear spins, and their magnetic moments. Further data for radioisotopes (radioactive isotopes) of boron are listed (including any which occur naturally) below.
Isotope Atomic mass (ma/u) Natural abundance (atom %) Nuclear spin (I) Magnetic moment (μ/μN)
10B 10.012 937 0(4) 19.9 (7) 3 1.80065
11B 11.009 305 5(5) 80.1 (7) 3/2 2.688637

Isotopic abundances of B
In the above picture, the most intense ion is set to 100% since this corresponds best to the output from a mass spectrometer. This is not to be confused with the relative percentage isotope abundances which total 100% for all the naturally occurring isotopes.

Radiosotope data

Further data for naturally occuring isotopes of boron are listed above. This table gives information about some radiosotopes of boron, their masses, their half-lives, their modes of decay, their nuclear spins, and their nuclear magnetic moments.
Isotope Mass Half-life Mode of decay Nuclear spin Nuclear magnetic moment
8B 8.024607 0.770 s EC to 8Be; EC + α to 4He; EC + 2 α to n 2 1.0355
9B 9.013329 8 x 10-19 s 2α to 1H; p to 8Be 3/2 1.8006
12B 12.014352 0.0202 s β- to 12C; β- + 3α to n 1 1.0031
13B 13.017780 0.0174 s β- to 13C 3/2 3.17778

Sheffield ChemPuter isotope pattern calculator

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References

  1. Naturally occurring isotope abundances: Commission on Atomic Weights and Isotopic Abundances report for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry in Isotopic Compositions of the Elements 1989, Pure and Applied Chemistry, 1998, 70, 217. [Copyright 1998 IUPAC]
  2. Masses, nuclear spins, and magnetic moments: I. Mills, T. Cvitas, K. Homann, N. Kallay, and K. Kuchitsu in Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, UK, 1988. [Copyright 1988 IUPAC]
  3. For further information about radioisotopes see Jonghwa Chang's (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) Table of the Nuclides

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boron atomic number