Element 5 · Metalloid
Boron
Boron is the metalloid that toughens borosilicate glassware and forms ultra-hard cutting tools.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
B
ATOMIC NO.
5
ATOMIC WEIGHT
10.81
CATEGORY
Metalloid
PERIOD
Period 2
GROUP
Group 13
Discovery & History
Boron compounds were used in ancient China and Persia for glazing ceramics long before the element was isolated. Boron was first isolated in pure form in 1808 independently by Humphry Davy and by Gay-Lussac and Thénard in France. Turkey’s vast boron deposits supplied European glassmakers from the 19th century and remain the world’s largest reserves today.
Where It's Used
Major current uses include borosilicate glass (Pyrex laboratory and cookware glass), fibreglass insulation, neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets (essential for electric motors and wind turbines), fertilisers, antiseptics (boric acid), and as a neutron absorber in nuclear reactor control rods.
Can You Sell It?
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Boron:
Boron is a metalloid — brittle, semi-conductive, and not found as a recoverable metal in standard scrap streams. Industrial boron exists as compounds (borax, boric acid) rather than as a metal that can be melted and reprocessed.
Price Guide
Boron compounds (boric acid, borax) trade as industrial chemicals. Boron oxide is approximately £500–800/tonne. No general scrap price exists for elemental boron; Turkey’s state-owned Eti Maden dominates global supply.