How has the element Boron impacted on society?

[Melanie]

How has the element Boron impacted on society in both good or bad ways?
What has it done to benefit us, or why it isn't good etc.

I cant seem to find what it is good for, how it has impacted on our society, is it bad for any reason etc. Please answer, homework due tommorow D: Much appreciated. x

[camila]

I cant find any serious environmental hazards from Boron or its common compounds.  Here are some of its uses; and some good links see below.

amorphous boron is used in pyrotechnic flares (distinctive green colour), and rockets (as an igniter)
    boric, or boracic, acid, is used as a mild antiseptic
    borax, Na2B4O7.10H2O, is a cleansing flux in welding
    borax, Na2B4O7.10H2O is a water softener in washing powders
    boron compounds are used in production of enamels for covering steel of refrigerators, washing machines, etc.
    boron compounds are extensively used in the manufacture of enamels and borosilicate glasses
    boron compounds show promise in treating arthritis
    10B is used as a control for nuclear reactors, as a shield for nuclear radiation, and in instruments used for detecting neutrons
    boron nitride is as hard as diamond. It behaves like an electrical insulator, but conducts heat like a metal. It also has lubricating properties similar to graphite
    the hydrides are sometimes used as rocket fuels
    boron filaments, a high-strength, lightweight material, are used for advanced aerospace structures, .
    lightweight compounds used for aerospace structures
    boron filaments used in fibre optics research
    Boric Acid is also used in North America for the control of cockroaches, silverfish, ants, fleas, and other insects.

[federox]

Boron tends to form refractory materials containing small amounts of carbon or other elements.  Elemental boron is used as a dopant in the semiconductor industry.

The major industrial-scale uses of boron compounds are in sodium perborate bleaches, and the borax component of fiberglass insulation. Boron polymers and ceramics play specialized roles as high-strength lightweight structural and refractory materials. Boron compounds are used in silica-based glasses and ceramics to give them resistance to thermal shock. Boron-containing reagents are used for as intermediates in the synthesis of organic fine chemicals. A few boron-containing organic pharmaceuticals are used, or are in study. Natural boron is composed of two stable isotopes, one of which (boron-10) has a number of uses as a neutron-capturing agent.

In biology, borates have low toxicity in mammals (similar to table salt), but are more toxic to arthropods and are used as insecticides. Boric acid is mildly antimicrobial, and a natural boron-containing organic antibiotic is known. Boron is essential to life. Small amounts of boron compounds play a strengthening role in the cell walls of all plants, making boron necessary in soils. Experiments indicate a role for boron as an ultratrace element in animals, but the nature of its role in animal physiology is unknown.