Boron trioxide

Boron trioxide is a glass like solid or white powder with the chemical formula B₂O₃.

Properties

Chemical

Boron trioxide is very unreactive. It can however be reduced to elemental boron with magnesium or aluminum powder in a thermite reaction.

Physical

When produced from boric acid, it forms as a non crystaline mass that is very hard and difficuilt to grind, forming a very fine powder when ground very similar to a solid plane of glass.

Availability

It is used in glassmaking, whether as a boron additive for making borosilicate glass or as a fluxing agent so this may be a source, however it is easy to produce from the starting materials boric acid or borax.

Preparation

Boric acid can be dehydrated above 300 degrees to form boron trioxide. Boron trioxide does not reabsorb this water from the atmosphere so is stable at room temperature.

Projects

• Producing boron

• Making the ester trimethyl borate