Boron is allotropic and occurs as crystalline or amorphous forms, with the amorphous form being more reactive. It is difficult to obtain pure crystalline boron due to its high melting point and tendency to form corrosive liquids. Boron forms various compounds with nonmetals but does not form a stable crystal lattice even when reacted with fluorine due to the large amount of ionization energy required.
Boron is allotropic and occurs as crystalline or amorphous forms, with the amorphous form being more reactive. It is difficult to obtain pure crystalline boron due to its high melting point and tendency to form corrosive liquids. Boron forms various compounds with nonmetals but does not form a stable crystal lattice even when reacted with fluorine due to the large amount of ionization energy required.
Boron is allotropic and occurs as crystalline or amorphous forms, with the amorphous form being more reactive. It is difficult to obtain pure crystalline boron due to its high melting point and tendency to form corrosive liquids. Boron forms various compounds with nonmetals but does not form a stable crystal lattice even when reacted with fluorine due to the large amount of ionization energy required.
• 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.
Oxy-Acetylene Welding and Cutting: Electric, Forge and Thermit Welding together with related methods and materials used in metal working and the oxygen process for removal of carbon