History

In 1808, three different scientist isolated boron from boric acid. Until that time, borax had already been in use for a number of things. Such as, ceramic glaze and metallurgy. Nobody had been able to isolate the element until Sir Humphry Davis decided to use electrolysis on borax. Upon doing so, he noticed a brown mass forming on one of the electrodes. Later on, he used potassium to reduce boron from boric acid.

At the same time, in , Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis Jaques Thénard had successfully isolated boron through the reduction of boric acid through iron at high temperatures. Then, in 1824, a Swedish scientist, by the name of Jöns Jakob Berzelius, identified boron as an element.

Modern Uses

The most common form of boron, used today, is the compound Sodium Borate Pentahydrate. This compound is most commonly used in the manufacturing of fiberglass insulation and sodium perborate bleach.

The next most important form of boron, used today, is commonly known as boric acid. Boric acid is used to manufacture textile fiberglass, as well as a flame retardant for cellulose insulation.

The final most important use, in modern times, is borax. You might have used this while doing laundry, or as a mild antiseptic. Heck, You've probably used it in the form of oobleck!

Sources

Science Notes

Its Elemental