Boron Trichloride
BCl3

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General Characteristics Health Hazards Material Recommendations
A colorless, corrosive and liquefied gas which is broken down by water to hydrogen chloride and boric acid. Penetrating odor. Forms white smoke in humid air.
 A Toxic Product, highly irritating to the mucous membranes and eyes. Can cause lung damage.
 Highly corrosive in the presence of moisture. Use copper, stainless steel, monel and hastelloy.
TLV-TWA Flammable Limits DOT Class / Label
None established None established 2.3 / Poison Gas
Molecular Weight Specific Gravity Specific Volume
117.2 4.03 @ 70 F 3.3 cu.ft./lb @ 70 F
CGA Valve Outlet CAS Registry No. UN Number
660 Electronic 10294-34-5 1741
National Stock Number (NSN) Applicable to Boron Trichloride MIL Specs/ Fed Specs
MSDS for Boron Trichloride

Grade
Part #		 Purity Minimum Cylinder
Size		 Volume
LBS		 Pressure
@ 70 F		 Comments
Electronic
466500 		99.9% Min.
Liquid phase		 044
007
LBR
 		100
14
1
 4.4
4.4
4.4

None
Chemically Pure
466300 		99.5% Min.
Liquid phase 		044
007
LBR
 		100
14
1
 		4.4
4.4
4.4
Uses: Boron Trichloride is used in the refining of aluminum, magnesium, zinc, and copper alloys to remove nitrides, carbides, and oxides from molten metal. It has been used successfully as a soldering flux for alloys of aluminum, iron, zinc, tungsten, and monel. Aluminum castings can be improved by treating the melt with boron trichloride vapors. In the manufacture of electrical resistors, a uniform and lasting adhesive carbon film can be put over a cermic base by a process that has been developed, using the addition of BCl3 to benzene at high temperature. Used in the field of high energy fuels and rocket propellants as a source of boron to raise BTU value.

Boron reacts with all halogen elements to give monomeric, highly reactive trihalides, which readily form complexes with amines, phosphines, ethers, and halide ions. Examples of complex formation between boron trichloride and trimethylamine, as well as between boron trifluoride and fluoride ion. When boron trichloride is passed at low pressure through devices delivering an electric discharge, diboron tetrachloride, the formula written as Cl2B-BCl2, and tetraboron tetrachloride, formula B4Cl4, are formed. Diboron tetrachloride decomposes at room temperatures to give a series of monochlorides having the general formula (BCl)n, in which n may be 8, 9, 10, or 11; the
compounds with formulas B8Cl8 and B9Cl9 are known to contain closed cages of boron atoms.

Boron exists in nature as two isotopes, one of atomic mass 10 (18.8 percent) and one of atomic mass 11 (81.2 percent). Both nuclei possess nuclear spin (rotation of the atomic nuclei); that of boron-10 has a value of 3 and that of boron-11, 3/2, the values being dictated by quantum factors. These isotopes are, therefore, of use in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; and spectrometers specially adapted to detecting the boron-11 nucleus are available commercially. The boron-10 and boron-11 nuclei also cause splitting in the resonances (that is, the appearance of new bands in the resonance spectra) of other nuclei (e.g., those of hydrogen atoms bonded to boron). The boron-10 isotope is unique in that it possesses an extremely large capture cross section for thermal neutrons (i.e., it readily absorbs neutrons of low energy). The capture of a neutron by a nucleus of this isotope results in the expulsion of an alpha particle.