Beta-Barium Borate (BBO)

See more Barium products. Barium (atomic symbol: Ba, atomic number: 56) is a Block S, Group 2, Period 6 element with an atomic weight of 137.27. The number of electrons in each of barium's shells is [2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 2] and its electron configuration is [Xe] 6s². Barium is a member of the alkaline-earth metals. The barium atom has a radius of 222 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 268 pm. Barium was discovered by Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1772 and first isolated by Humphry Davy in 1808. In its elemental form, barium is a soft, silvery-gray metal. Industrial applications for barium include acting as a "getter," or unwanted gas remover, for vacuum tubes, and as an additive to steel and cast iron. Barium is also alloyed with silicon and aluminum in load-bearing alloys. The main commercial source of barium is the mineral barite (BaSO₄); it does not occur naturally as a free element . The name barium is derived from the Greek word "barys," meaning heavy.

See more Boron products. Boron (atomic symbol: B, atomic number: 5) is a Block P, Group 13, Period 2 element with an atomic weight of 10.81. The number of electrons in each of boron's shells is 2, 3 and its electron configuration is [He] 2s² 2p¹. The boron atom has a radius of 90 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 192 pm. Boron was discovered by Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis Jacques Thénard in 1808 and was first isolated by Humphry Davy later that year. Boron is classified as a metalloid is not found naturally on earth. Along with carbon and nitrogen, boron is one of the few elements in the periodic table known to form stable compounds featuring triple bonds. Boron has an energy band gap of 1.50 to 1.56 eV, which is higher than that of either silicon or germanium. The name Boron originates from a combination of carbon and the Arabic word buraqu meaning borax.