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Author: Subject: What is the white impurity in my boron?
fusso
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[*] posted on 19-6-2019 at 21:55
What is the white impurity in my boron?


I was trying to purify boron powder and some white impurities formed during the heating step, but it wouldn't dissolve in water or anything I used to purify the B. I noticed the impurity contaminated B turned black if heated, then return to white after cooling. What is it?
Reagents used to purify the boron from filter paper: Schweizer's reagent (Cu nitrate+NaOH+NH3), H2SO4, tap water(soft), distilled water, piranha soln, gentle heat from blowtorch (to dry the powder), acetone




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j_sum1
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[*] posted on 19-6-2019 at 23:07


What is the source of your boron? Is this stuff collected from NdBFe magnets? What method did you use to isolate the boron?
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elementcollector1
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[*] posted on 19-6-2019 at 23:09


If it's boron from Nd magnets, the white stuff is a mix of RE and Fe compounds (in my case, it was sulfates, but I can't assume the same in your case).

Come to think of it, I never actually did find out where the boron went in my experiments... has anyone ever successfully proven that they recovered the boron from a Nd magnet?




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fusso
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[*] posted on 19-6-2019 at 23:44


Yes, from Nd magnets, but RE sulphates aren't that insoluble isn't it?



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[*] posted on 23-6-2019 at 05:13


But the white stuff turned black when heated and return to white after cooling…
Quote: Originally posted by elementcollector1  
has anyone ever successfully proven that they recovered the boron from a Nd magnet?
Me?



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