BORON PROPERTIES

• Boron is allotropic and occurs as various crystalline

forms which are chemically inert. It also occurs as an
amorphous powder which is quite reactive. This form
reacts with various non-metals forming boron
compounds.
• It is difficult to obtain pure crystalline boron as its
melting point is very high, (+/- 2180 oC) and because it
forms a corrosive liquid.
 BORON PROPERTIES
• Boron is thus studied separately from aluminium and
the other three elements which may be regarded as a
group.
• Boron does not form a stable crystal lattice as B3+ even
when reacted with fluorine. This is because an
enormous amount of ionization energy is required to
remove the three valence electrons from this small
atom.
 BORON COMPOUNDS
• All 4 halides exist.BF3 and BCl3 are gases, BBr3 is a liquid and the iodide
is a solid. The fluoride is used as a Friedel-Crafts catalyst in organic
chemistry.
• The known hydride is diborane, B2H6 which occurs as an inflammable
gas.
• Its oxide, B2O3 is an acidic oxide which reacts with water to form
orthoboric acid, H3BO3. B2O3 is obtained as a glassy material whose
structure consists of networks of BO3 groups. It can be fused with
metal oxides to make coloured borate glass.
• Orthoboric acid is formed when dilute HCl is added to a solution of
borax.
• Boron forms borates and metaborates because it has an affinity for
oxygen.
 PROPERTIES OF ALUMINIUM
• Aluminium is a light metal with considerable strength; yet it is
malleable and ductile.
• Due to a thin oxide layer that forms on the metal surface, aluminium
is not that reactive. This is a useful property that makes aluminium
useful as a structural metal.
• Aluminium reacts with HCl and H2SO4 forming the respective salt and
gases. HNO3 does not attack aluminium due to the oxide layer.
• Aluminium is attacked by sodium hydroxide, yielding H2 gas.
• Aluminium combines directly with oxygen, sulphur, nitrogen and the
halogens when heated to suitable temperatures. The oxide and
fluoride are largely ionic while the rest are largely covalent.
 USES OF ALUMINIUM
• Aluminium is alloyed with magnesium to make light but strong alloys.
The alloys are used as a structural metal; in aircraft, buses, trains ships
and piston heads. Also in cans, foil, kitchen utensils ect.
• The structure/body of many modern cars are made with a combination
of steel sheets, aluminium and carbon fiber.
• Aluminium is a great heat conductor thus is used for making pots and
electrical wires.
• Due to its ability to reflect heat and light aluminium is used as a coating
for storage tanks and as wrapping for chocolates and other food
substances.
• Aluminium is used as a reducing agent for the small scale extraction of
metals like chromium.
 ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
• Aluminium forms all 4 halides; the fluoride is ionic while the others
are covalent. They can can exist as dimeric structures, (Al2X6) at low
temperatures.
• Aluminium oxide, Al2O3 is an amphoteric oxide , unlike the acidic
boron oxide, B2O3.
• Aluminium hydroxide is a gelatinous Al(OH)3 compound. It is
amphoteric, unlike the boron hydroxide. This compound is used in
the dyeing industry.
• Lithium aluminium hydride is used to reduce carboxylic acids to
alcohols in organic chemistry.