Boron, a nonmetallic element with atomic number 5, has various uses and appears in different forms. Pure boron is extracted chemically and is black and crystalline. It is used in metal refining and is classified as a nonmetal. Boron is necessary for plant health and is used in various industries. Handling some forms can be harmful, and boron mining generates harmful waste, posing a potential environmental concern.
Boron is a nonmetallic element with atomic number 5, identified by the symbol B on the periodic table. There are a number of uses for it, and like many items, it appears in various forms that have different potential applications. Pure elemental boron, however, does not occur naturally and must be extracted chemically. One of the best known uses is in the compound known as borax.
The pure form of boron is black and crystalline and extremely brittle. A more common variation is an amorphous form, which is soft, brown, and crumbly. Boron is often used in metal refining because it is reactive at high temperatures. Although the element is not metallic, it is classified as a nonmetal. Nonmetals are elements that share certain properties with metals, making them useful in alloys and compounds used to chemically manipulate metals.
As is the case with many elements not found in nature in elemental form, it took scientists some time to isolate boron. In 1808, several scientists managed to isolate a form, although they did not recognize it as an element. In the early 1900s, chemists succeeded in creating pure boron, realizing more potential applications for the element. Methods for isolation are not widely standardized, leading to variable quality when it comes to the pure form.
Plants require trace boron to be healthy, although the threshold between enough and too much is quite small. Humans and animals also ingest small amounts through the plants they eat, but it is not thought to be a necessary trace element in human nutrition. Boron is also used in a variety of industries, as a dopant, abrasive, and ingredient in propellant blends, among other things.
Pure boron itself is not harmful, although many of the forms in which it appears are toxic or somewhat toxic. It can appear naturally in mixtures of toxic material, which can make handling some forms quite harmful. Additionally, boron mining generates harmful waste, as it must be heavily processed to extract a usable pure form. Even when this material is handled responsibly, it poses a potential environmental concern, as toxins are difficult to break down into a safe and stable form. Mining companies may try to save on their toxic waste, creating a major pollution problem.
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