Our little journey The number 5 stop of the Periodic Table reaches Boron. This element is present in many combinations in our daily lives, and there is even a reserve in our body.

Boron is a very interesting element, due to its properties it has a kind of dual behavior: it is brittle, but has a hardness close to diamond. It is not essential for the human organism, but it has the potential to cause problems when it is not present. Although it is from the 3A family and is called the “Boro Family”, it is the only semi-metal in the 13th group.

Are you interested in this element that has been used for thousands of years? Read on to learn a little more about the properties and uses of this fantastic element.

Boron crystals can reach a hardness of 9.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. It reaches 10 points, which is the maximum score on the diamond scale. (Source: Getty Images)

Boro’s short story

Historical research indicates that boron has been used since Mesopotamia. Ceramics, paints and more recently as one of the materials in Egyptian mummification rituals.

Despite the very interesting records in their history, it is clear that these civilizations did not leave recipes that explicitly listed the element, but it is possible to recognize traces of the component through chemical and biological analyzes of the material heritage of these civilizations.

Records indicate For the official discovery of Bor in 1808This discovery by the French chemists Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis-Jacques Thenard, and in some textbooks, can also be attributed to the English chemist Sir Humphry Davy.

Boron is not found in pure form in nature, but is also found in silicate minerals such as Tourmaline and Feldspar. Source: GettyImages.
Boron is not found in pure form in nature, but is also found in silicate minerals such as Tourmaline and Feldspar. (Source: Getty Images)

how is it Since it does not exist in its pure form, chemists programmedly burned the minerals containing the substance in order to isolate it.. Therefore, what remained after combustion in these early experiments, which had a high resistance to temperature, was a more refined but impure form of the element.

However, it was not immediately classified as a new element. It became known only in 1824, thanks to the Swedish chemist Jöns Jakob Berzelius.

It still took several decades for the pure form of the element to be obtained, and it was only in 1909 that the American chemist Ezekiel Weintraub was able to produce the first sample.

Boron was widely used even before it was recognized, but due to its isolation, new possibilities began to be investigated. But those who think we know everything about this element are mistaken. There are some tricks we still haven’t discovered about its functionality in living things, at least in animal organisms..

With nearly 11 weights and Symbols
Boron, which weighs close to 11 and has the Symbol “B”, has a wide variety of uses even before it was considered an element of the Periodic Table. (Source: Getty Images)

Our daily pipe

If you think boron is one of those reclusive elements found only in laboratories far from your daily life, you couldn’t be more wrong. If you have children, you must have gone through the Slime phase. If the fun and questionable slime contained boric water, yes it was there.

Traces of this element can also be found in the dishes you eat from, as its silicates are commonly used in glass containers to provide greater hardness and temperature resistance.

You also consume Boron every day. It is considered an essential micronutrient for the development of plants, acting on cell walls and managing various functions in these organisms. This element may also be present in garlic, spinach, peanuts, potatoes, carrots and many other products.

It is not yet considered essential in our body, but studies have shown that It may contribute to vitamin D absorption and prevention of osteoporosis, among other functions that have not yet been well researched..

If you're wondering how you've ever been lucky enough not to shatter your mother's favorite bowl when it fell to the floor, thank St. Boro for the miracle. Source: GettyImages.
If you’re wondering how you’ve ever been lucky enough not to shatter your mother’s favorite bowl when it fell to the floor, thank St. Boro for the miracle. (Source: Getty Images)

And here comes an important caveat: Although the element has been researched on various fronts for the benefit of human health, There is not enough information to guarantee the minimum or maximum amounts required in our body..

So there’s no point in trying to supplement something that your body doesn’t actually lack and can be completely obtained through food. Although the element does not appear to have alarming toxicity, it is not known exactly where it is stored in our bodies and how it is metabolized.

Boron research on human health has offered other promising avenues. This element has a very interesting property: It absorbs neutrons. For this reason, in addition to being found in walls as a component of metallic alloys due to its high heat resistance, it can also be used as a method of braking chain reactions in nuclear reactors.

Thanks to this feature, it has been researched in the treatment of hard-to-reach cancers by serving as a target for tumor cells. The method is called BNCT boron neutron capture therapy, which in literal translation would be something like Boron’s Neutron Capture Therapy.

The method has been studied as a form of radiation therapy for brain cancers such as Glioblastoma Multiforme. Source: GettyImages
The method has been studied as a form of radiation therapy for brain cancers such as Glioblastoma Multiforme. (Source: Getty Images)

Simplifying the technique would be like marking all tumor cells with Boron, which will attract the neutrons emitted by the radiation beams. Capturing this particle will cause a significant increase in the temperature of the tumor cell and destroy it. This holds great promise for inoperable or hard-to-access tumors, giving patients treated a longer life expectancy.

The sky is not the limit

Some researchers Boron is thought to have been brought to Earth by meteorites, which explains its low abundance on the planet and apparently in the universe. Here it is mainly found in minerals such as borax, kernite, ulexite and colemanite.

Since it has a hardness close to diamond, it is used as an abrasive material on surfaces that will be exposed to stress in the industry. But remember how we said it was also fragile?

For this reason, while you may see diamond blades and sandpaper on the market, you will also rarely see the Bor tool. Ephemera that only has this element.

Minerals containing the element are very brittle, like chalk on a blackboard. Source: GettyImages.
Minerals containing the element are very brittle, like chalk on a blackboard. (Source: Getty Images)

More importantly, to your astonishment, it can reach the sky in two ways: as part of the alloys in spacecraft or as fireworks. The green of firework explosions contains the element.

And it doesn’t end here It can also be used as an antiseptic, bleach, acid and base in agricultural supplements, technology and electronics, among numerous other forms.. He’s great!

Some elements are very present in our lives, but due to their different presentations, we cannot always connect the name to the element and it may have been far from your radar until now. What is Boro doing in his house? Tell us on social media.

If you want to learn more about the Periodic Table and can’t wait to learn about other elements, here are 5 apps to help you on your journey through 118 fantastic elements! See you in Carbon!

Source: Tec Mundo

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I'm Blaine Morgan, an experienced journalist and writer with over 8 years of experience in the tech industry. My expertise lies in writing about technology news and trends, covering everything from cutting-edge gadgets to emerging software developments. I've written for several leading publications including Gadget Onus where I am an author.

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