About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T25: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Controlled Synthesis, Processing, and Applications of Structural and Functional Nanomaterials
|
| Presentation Title |
Large Scale Production of Elemental Nano Boron Powder |
| Author(s) |
Selcuk Acar, Mehmet Suat Somer |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Selcuk Acar |
| Abstract Scope |
This study presents a scalable method for producing high-purity (>98.5% B) amorphous elemental boron. Traditional methods involving B₂O₃ reduction with magnesium (Moissan method) often leave behind impurities like Mg₂B₂₅, B₆O, and B₇O, which cannot be fully removed by acid leaching. Alternative high-purity routes use BCl₃ reduction or diborane (B₂H₆) pyrolysis, but B₂H₆ is highly toxic, explosive, and costly.
The novel approach developed here enables on-demand synthesis of diborane via a solid-state metathesis reaction between metal chlorides and alkali metal boron hydrides. Unlike conventional ball milling, the reaction is initiated by gently heating compressed pellets, eliminating solvent use. In-situ pyrolysis of the generated B₂H₆ at >573 K yields amorphous boron with minimal oxygen and nitrogen contamination.
This method has been safely applied at Pavezyum Kimya’s facility for over a decade, achieving over 200 kg/year production. The resulting nano-boron is a key material for MgB₂ bulk and wire manufacturing. |