Element Collection

Element Collection

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Boron Research

As mentioned in my new video, Elemental Extractions 5: Boron, I've been doing a lot of research on the element and how to isolate it. My chosen reaction for that video (and my old one on boron) was the magnesiothermic reduction of boric oxide:
B2O3 + 3Mg == 2B + 3MgO
But it turns out that this pathway only produces very impure boron, for several reasons. Read on for some of the results of my research, with links to the papers I mention. You can also see my thread on ScienceMadness for some extra discussion.

Friday, February 10, 2017

Major Lab Renovation Part 3: Furniture!

The renovation progresses! I received my official lab furniture and am in the process of installing it in the room. There are a few minor/major problems to resolve before I'm finished, though.