|
The history of boron dates back to June 30, 1808. Boron was discovered by Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis Jacques Thénard, who were french chemists. They discovered boron by a though procedure of combining boric acid with potassium, but today it is obtained by heating borax with carbon, unless high-purity boron is required. Boron cannot be found alone in nature.
Boron has been known to be used in some rockets as an ignition source. Boron filaments are mostly used in the aerospace because of their high-strength and lightweight. However boron is also used in pyrotechnics and flares (aka. fireworks) to produce a green color(like shown to the right). An everyday item you may find boron in could be ceramics, soaps, like your bar soaps as well as laundry detergent. Boron can also have an environmental effect as it can end up in the food chain. This can happen by humans adding boron to the environment by producing glass, combusting coal and through the addition of agricultural fertilizers. Although it wouldn't cause a very large problem, animals and humans could suffer minor health issues.
Boron has been known to be used in some rockets as an ignition source. Boron filaments are mostly used in the aerospace because of their high-strength and lightweight. However boron is also used in pyrotechnics and flares (aka. fireworks) to produce a green color(like shown to the right). An everyday item you may find boron in could be ceramics, soaps, like your bar soaps as well as laundry detergent. Boron can also have an environmental effect as it can end up in the food chain. This can happen by humans adding boron to the environment by producing glass, combusting coal and through the addition of agricultural fertilizers. Although it wouldn't cause a very large problem, animals and humans could suffer minor health issues.