Calcium hexaboride (calcium boride) is a compound of calcium and boron, with the chemical formula CaB6. Due to its high conductivity, hardness, chemical stability and melting point, it is an important material. It is a black, shiny, chemically inert powder with low density. It has a typical cubic structure of six metal boride, with octahedral units of six boron atoms and calcium atoms.
CaB6 has been investigated in the past due to a variety of peculiar physical properties, such as superconductivity, valence fluctuation and Kondo effects. However, the most remarkable property of calcium boride is its ferromagnetism. It occurs at unexpectedly high temperatures (600K) and with a low magnetic moment. The origin of this high-temperature ferromagnetism is the ferromagnetic phase of the dilute electron gas, linkage to the presumed excitonic state in calcium boride, or external impurities on the surface of the sample. The impurities might include iron and nickel, probably coming from impurities in the boron used to prepare the sample.
CaB6 is insoluble in H2O, MeOH (methanol), and EtOH (ethanol) and dissolves slowly in acids. Its microhardness is 27 GPa, Knoop hardness is 2600 kg/mm2), the Young modulus is 379 GPa, and electrical resistivity is greater than 2·1010 Ω·m for pure crystals. CaB6 is a semiconductor with an energy gap estimated at 1.0 eV. The low, semi-metallic conductivity of many CaB6 samples can be explained by unintentional doping due to impurities and possible non-stoichiometry. Feel free to send an inquiry to get the latest price if you would like to buy Calcium Hexaboride CaB6 Powder in bulk.
Calcium boride has the characteristics of high melting point and high hardness. Its physical and chemical properties are quite stable. When calcined in air, sub-micron CaB6 will only gain weight after 800 degrees Celsius and is not easy to oxidize. CaB6 is generally insoluble in hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, so technically to remove impurity materials by hot hydrochloric acid, but CaB6 is soluble in nitric acid.
One of the main reactions of industrial production is:
CaO + 3 B2O3 + 10 Mg→CaB6 + 10 MgO
Other methods of producing CaB6 powder include:
Calcium or calcium oxide reacts directly with boron at 1000°C;
Ca + 6B→CaB6
Ca(OH)2 reacts with boron under a vacuum of about 1700°C (carbothermal reduction);
Ca(OH)2 + 7B→CaB6 + BO(g)+ H2O(g)
The reaction of calcium carbonate and boron carbide under vacuum above 1400°C (Carbothermal reduction)
CaO and H3BO3 react with Mg to 1100°C.
Low temperature (500°C) synthesis
CaCl2 + 6NaBH4→CaB6 + 2NaCl + 12H2 + 4Na
As a result, the material quality is relatively poor.
In order to produce, for example, pure calcium boride single crystals used as cathode materials, the CaB6 powder thus obtained is further recrystallized and purified by zone melting technology. The typical growth rate is 30 cm/h, and the crystal size is about 1x10 cm.
Single crystal CaB6 nanowires (diameter 15-40 nm, length 1-10 microns) can be obtained by pyrolyzing diborane (B2H6) on calcium oxide (CaO) powder at 860-900°C in the presence of Ni catalyst.
Product Name | MF | Purity | Particle Size | Bulk Density | Melting Point | Color |
Calcium Hexaboride | CaB6 | 99.5% | -325 mesh | 2.33 g/cm3 | 2230℃ | Gray Black |
1. Used as a boron-containing additive for dolomite charcoal and magnesium dolomite charcoal refractories to resist oxidation, erosion and improve the thermal strength.
2. Used as a deoxidizing and degassing agent for highly conductive red copper to improve conductivity and strength.
3. Used as a new type of material for preventing neutrons in the nuclear industry.
4. Used as a new type of semiconductor material in spin electronic components with a temperature of 900K.
5. Used as a raw material for manufacturing boron trichloride (BCl3) and amorphous boron.
6. Used as a raw material for manufacturing high-purity metal borides (TiB2, ZrB2, HfB2, etc.) and high-purity boron alloys (Ni-B, Co-B, Cu-B, etc.).
7. Used to manufacture a mixture of catalyst-containing calcium-boron nitride (Ca3B2N4) and hexagonal boron nitride, and to produce crystal cubic boron nitride with excellent performance.
Damp reunion will affect CaB6 powder dispersion performance and using effects, therefore, calcium hexaboride CaB6 powder should be sealed in vacuum packing and stored in cool and dry room, the calcium hexaboride can not be exposure to air. In addition, the CaB6 powder should be avoided under stress.
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Q1
What is calcium hexaboride used for?
Answer: Calcium hexaboride is used in the manufacturing of boron-alloyed steel and as a deoxidation agent in production of oxygen-free copper. The latter results in higher conductivity than conventionally phosphorus-deoxidized copper owing to the low solubility of boron in copper.
Q2
What is the structure of cab6?
Answer: Commonly referred to as the CaB 6 prototype structure, the lattice is composed of a single metal atom surrounded by eight octahedra of boron atoms, each centered on a corner of the cube ( Fig. 1) and of Pm ¯ 3m symmetry.
Q3
What is the crystal structure of calcium hexaboride?
Answer: The crystal structure of calcium hexaboride is a cubic lattice with calcium at the cell centre and compact, regular octahedral of boron atoms linked at the vertices by B-B bonds to give a 3-D boron network. Each calcium has 24 nearest-neighbor boron atoms.
Calcium Hexaboride Properties | |
Other Names | zirconium boride, ZrB2 powder |
CAS No. | 12007-99-7 |
Compound Formula | CaB6 |
Molecular Weight | 104.944 |
Appearance | Black Powder |
Melting Point | 2235 °C |
Boiling Point | N/A |
Density | 2.3-2.45 g/cm3 |
Solubility in H2O | Insoluble |
Exact Mass | N/A |
Calcium Hexaboride Health & Safety Information | |
Signal Word | Warning |
Hazard Statements | H315-H319-H335 |
Hazard Codes | Xi |
Risk Codes | N/A |
Safety Statements | N/A |
Transport Information | NONH for all modes of transport |