Scientists think that boron has potential as a medicine to treat arthritis.Boron plays an important role in reducing the enzymes that cause an inflammatory response, reducing joint pain and stiffness associated with arthritis.īoron has anti-inflammatory properties that can help alleviate the symptoms of arthritis.Ī 2015 review of the benefits of boron found that greater boron intake (3–10 mg a day) was associated with fewer cases of osteoarthritis, reducing cases by as much as 60%.The largest producers of boron minerals are Turkey, the United States, and Russia.Some boron compounds such as borax have been used by ancient civilizations for thousands of years.It is generally not considered poisonous, but can be toxic in large doses.Boron is an important mineral for plant life.It burns with a green flame and is used to create green colored fireworks.The largest borax mine in the world is located in Boron, California in the Mohave Desert.There are thirteen known isotopes of the element. The name boron comes from the mineral borax which gets its name from the Arabic word "burah".īoron has two stable and naturally occurring isotopes. The first nearly pure boron was produced in 1909 by American chemist Ezekiel Weintraub. It was discovered simultaneously by English chemist Sir Humphry Davy and French chemists Joseph L. Other applications that use boron include semiconductors (computer chips), magnets, super hard materials, and shielding for nuclear reactors.īoron was first discovered as a new element in 1808. It also helps to make glassware for science labs. It produces high end cookware materials used in brands such as Duran and Pyrex.
Borax is a powdered material used in detergents, cosmetics, and enamel glazes.īoron is used in the manufacture of glass and ceramics. Boric acid is used in a number of applications including insecticides, flame retardants, antiseptics, and to create other compounds. Most of the boron that is mined is eventually refined into boric acid or borax.
The most common compounds are borax and kernite which are found in sedimentary rock formations. Pure boron is not found naturally on Earth, but the element is found in many compounds. It is a poor conductor at room temperature.īoron is a fairly rare element on Earth. The chemical compound boron nitride is the second hardest substance after diamond (which is an allotrope of carbon).īoron tends to make covalent bonds rather than ionic bonds.
Crystalline boron is black in color and is extremely hard. The boron atom has five electrons and five protons.Īmorphous boron (meaning the atoms are bonded together in a random order) comes in the form of a brown powder.īoron atoms can bond in a number of different types of crystal networks called allotropes. It is classified as a metalloid which means that its properties are in between that of a metal and a nonmetal. Thenard, and Sir Humphry Davy in 1808īoron is the first element in the thirteenth column of the periodic table.
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