Is boron a metal?Boron powder does not belong to the metal family, and it is not considered a metal solid because it doesn't have any of the metal's general properties. Boron has the lowest outermost electron count of any non-metallic. It is available in both amorphous (or powdery) and crystalline form. The former has a brown-black powder to black, while the latter is black black to silver-gray with a metallic luster. Its hardness is comparable to that of diamond. Amorphous Boron slowly oxidizes at room temperature in the air, and it self-ignites around 800 degC. Boron, hydrochloric and hydrofluoric (or hydrochloric) acid will not work together even after they have been boiled.

Boron is slowly eroded and oxided by a hot mixture of sodium dichromate with sulfuric acid. The boron crystals can be slowly oxidized by hydrogen peroxide or ammonium perisulfate. Boron reacts violently and rapidly with sulfur when heated to 600 deg C. A mixture of boronsulfide is formed. Boron nitride can be formed when boron, in the presence of nitrogen or ammonia is heated over 1000 deg C. At 1800-2100 deg C hydrogen and boron don't react. But at 2100 deg C and higher, boron, silicon, and ammonia react to form silicon-boride. At high temperature, boron can react with metals and metal oxides in order to produce metal borides.

Boron Properties:
It is a black, dark brown, or gray powder. When it is oxidized by air, the boron film forms, which prevents the internal element from oxidizing further. It reacts at normal temperatures with fluorine and is uncorroded by hydrochloric or hydrofluoric aqueous solutions. Boron powder is soluble with sulfuric acid and boiling nitric, but not in water. Amorphous boron has a chemical activity, and the powder can be explosive when mixed with air.

Boron is an electrical conductor that is weak at normal temperatures and strong at higher temperatures. The elemental form of boron comes in different allotropes. The amorphous form is a powdery brown color, while the crystalline form is a grayish black. Elemental Boron has a hardness that is similar to diamond. It also has a very high electrical resistance. But its electrical conductivity will increase with temperature. Crystalline boron tends to be more inert while amorphous is more active. The stable isotopes of boron are only two. Boric acid and borate are the main forms of boron in nature.

Boron Uses:
Boron is essential for ribonucleic-acid formation. Ribonucleic-acid is an important component of life. James Stephenson is a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Hawaii NASA Institute of Astrobiology. He said: "Bronze could be important for life's origin on Earth, because it stabilises nucleics, which are key components of the ribonucleic. Ribonucleic acids are considered to be precursors of DNA information in the early stages of life.

Boron is an important chemical raw-material mineral. It is used primarily in the productions of borax and boric acid, as well as for the compounds containing boron and elemental Boron. Also, it is used for metallurgy. Building materials, machinery and electrical industries. Chemicals, light wool, the nuclear industry, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and many other sectors. Boron is a very important material that can be added to an alloy as a component or a powder.

Boron can be utilized in a variety of applications, including the production of high-purity, high-performance boron halides, the smelting and scavenging of steels with special alloys, the ignition of tubes for electronic devices, control rods, rocket reactors, and rocket high energy fuels. Boron is used as a raw material to make a variety borides. This can save valuable metals and reduce the amount of olefins in them.

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