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Boron Oxide Melting Point

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Boron oxide, B 2 O 3 is a hard glass-like solid or white powder that is soluble in water. It is an unreactive compound and does not react with most common reagents. It may be reduced to elemental boron with magnesium powder in a thermite reaction. It is a good solvent for metallic oxides and can be used in metallurgy as an addition to special welding and soldering fluxes and in chemical-bonded refractories.

It is also a popular additive to glass formulas for its ability to lower melting points, increase thermal resistance and mechanical strength, and improve aqueous chemical durability. It is used in specialty glasses including optical and telescope lenses, medical (ampules) and electronic glasses, and in a variety of borosilicate and boro-nitride ceramic products.

In solution calorimetry it is very important that the melting point of a sample remain low enough to be within the temperature range of a solution calorimeter. For this reason, only those oxides that are capable of melting into a well-defined eutectic are suitable for use in such experiments. Unfortunately very few simple oxides are available in this respect. The few that do exist, such as OsO and Re20, tend to react with the solvent vapor during a calorimeter run, so that the sample disintegrates before the desired eutectic melt is obtained.

Boron is a toxic element that can be found in varying concentrations in drinking and surface waters throughout the world. It has no known acute effects but is known to cause lung irritation and skin rashes when inhaled. It is classified by Safe Work Australia as a substance of high concern and has TLVs or BEIs set in some occupational settings.