Boron

Boron My report is on Boron. Boron is a hard, brittle semimetallic element with an atomic number of 5. Boron is in group 13 of the periodic table Compounds of boron, borax, have been known since early years. Although the pure element was first prepared in 1808 by a Frenchmen named Joseph Gay-Lussac as well as Baron Louis Thenard. Boron is needed for plant growth and is important for bone health in humans and other vertebrates. The atomic …

…table would indicate a close relationship to aluminum. Borax is used in cleaning compounds, glass and ceramics, fertilizers, paper and paints, and fire retardants. Boric acid is used medically for its astringent and antiseptic properties. Boron carbide is used as an abrasive and alloying agent. Boron is used in instruments designed to detect and count slow neutrons, it is employed as a control absorber in nuclear reactors and as a constituent material of neutron shields.