Wikijunior:The Elements/Boron

What does boron look like?
The semi-metal boron occurs in five different variations. Boron can be brown, gray, black, red, or reddish in color.

How was it discovered?
In 1808 the conditions for the discovery of this element were in place and several chemists prepared it independently: Joseph Gay-Lussac, Louis Jacques Thénard and Sir Humphry Davy.

Where the name comes from
Borax, which was already widely used in ancient times, is called burag in Arabic. Borax can be extracted from boron.


 * Boron compounds used in rocket fuel and fireworks.
 * Boron is the second hardest element.

Where is it found?
Boron salts are found in Turkey, USA and Australia.

What is boron used for?
Boron is used for spacecraft, fibers, and semiconductors. Boron carbide is used as an abrasive because of its hardness. Sodium perborate is used in large quantities in detergents. Borax is used in glass making.

Is it dangerous?
Boron is non-toxic, but some compounds damage genetic material and are therefore toxic to reproduction. (Non-hazardous, no GHS pictogram.)