Investigation of production parameters of elemental boron from boron oxide

Boron is one of the common and necessary elements for all living beings to continue their lives in nature. Products of boron are the most important foundations of industry and also it is very important for Turkey because of the high value added. According to the researches which are about boron; most of them are instead of getting the refined products, to process minerals, to increase the content of boron oxide, to improve the method of production and to investigate the effects of parameters such as heat and the size of particle on the production. In literature, the production techniques of elemental boron powder is known like that to produce of molten salts of boron (KBF4) compounds by electrolysis, to reduce volatile B halides (BBr3) by hydrogen on a hot tungsten wire and thermal decomposition of boron hydrides and halides; but all around the world the secrecy of methods about boron production prevent to obtain information about the details of techniques. vii With this study, a new technique is added to the production methods of other elemental boron powder. This method is shown that elemental boron powder is produced by mechanical milling techniques at room temperature. With this purpose, during milling magnesium (Mg) and boron oxide (B2O3) powders are provided to react by using different parameters in attritor and spex. Elemental boron (B) and magnesium oxide (MgO) are obtained as a product after this reaction. The samples which are milled in different parameters are analyzed at XRD and are interpreted by comparing values of peak and pattern in the end. Two samples are analyzed at ICP-OES for determining elemental boron powder and 11, 7 mg of elemental boron powder is determined in the sample that is 100 mg. Magnesium, boron oxide and the two milled samples are pictured at SEM. In addition, from SEM pictures of elemental boron powder and magnesium which is colorful are obtained by the method of mapping. As a result of this study, magnesium and boron oxide are milled mechanically (powder to ball weight ratio by taking 1/48 and 1/36 and 120 minutes for milling time) and with this process, boron which is in the boron oxide is reduced and finally obtained with the yield of 77%. Key Words : Boron oxide, elemental boron, milling, spex