Boron What is it? What does it do?

BORON

Boron is a soft, brown, amorphous (neat word meaning shapeless, without form... Basically, not crystal like) nonmetallic element. It is extracted (gotten from) kernite and borax.

It is used in flares, in the making of abrasives (sand paper) and to harden metallic alloys.

In nature, a combination of aluminum and boron silicates, alot of pressure and time results in a gem stone known as tourmaline. They come in many colors such as red, pink, blue, green, yellow, violet and black. There is a picture of tourmaline below.