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 crystalline and amorphous forms. The first form is brown-black powder to black, while the second is black-black or silver-gray with a metallic sheen. Its hardness is comparable to that of diamond. At room temperature amorphous boran slowly oxidizes and ignites itself at about 800 degC. Boron, hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid will not work even after they have been boiled.

Boron is slowly oxidized and eroded when a mixture of hot concentrated sodium dichromate with sulfuric acid and nitric acids is used. The crystalline boron can be oxidized by hydrogen peroxide or ammonium sulfate. 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 compounds to form metal-borides.

Boron Properties:
It is a black, dark brown, or gray powder. When it is oxidized by air, it prevents the internal element boron from oxidizing further due to the formation boron-trioxide film. It reacts at normal temperatures with fluorine and is uncorroded by hydrofluoric or hydrochloric 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 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. Amorphous and crystalline boron are 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 regarded as 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 a precursor to 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 boron compounds. 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 an addition.

Boron can also be used as a raw material to manufacture high-purity boric halides. It is used for the smelting and igniting of special alloy steels. Boron is used as a raw material to make borides. This powder can save valuable metals and can also replace them.

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