Boron oxide

Preparation

Although boron can be directly burned in air and oxygen to produce Boron oxide, it is primarily produced through dehydration of boric acid. Vacuum dehydration of boric acid at 200–400 °C yields very dry Boron oxide. If dehydrated in the atmosphere, even at temperatures up to 1000 °C, it is difficult to remove the remaining trace amounts of water.

Uses

Boron trioxide has a wide range of applications. It can be used as a flux in the decomposition of silicates; it can also be used as a dopant in semiconductor materials, a heat-resistant glassware and refractory additive in paints, and in the metallurgical industry for the production of alloy steel. It is used as a catalyst in organic synthesis, an additive in high-temperature lubricants, and in environmental protection.
1. Used as a flux in the decomposition of silicates, and a major raw material for the production of elemental boron and various borides.
2. Used as a dopant in semiconductor materials, a catalyst in organic synthesis, and a raw material for ceramic enamels. (For example, when growing GaAs single crystals using the Czochralski method, to prevent the decomposition of the GaAs melt, a layer of molten B2O3 is often placed on the surface of the GaAs melt [in this case, a graphite crucible or a pyrolytic BN crucible must be used to hold the GaAs melt, not a quartz crucible].)
3. Used as a raw material for dissolving boron in the chemical heat treatment process in the machinery industry.
4. Used in the metallurgical industry for the production of alloy steel and high-energy fuels.
5. It has applications in other sectors of the national economy, as well as in the atomic energy and electronics industries. 6. Heat-resistant glassware, ceramics, refractory additives for paints, additives for solders, and additives for high-temperature lubricants. 7. Stabilizing raw materials and additives in industrial glass manufacturing. 8. Boric anhydride can be used in the production and processing of cable materials. 9. Boric anhydride also plays an important role in dyes and is an indispensable raw material in dyes.

Definition

ChEBI: Oxidoboron is a boron oxide.