Boron esters and oxygen removal

[woodyanderson]

I would like to remove oxygen from boron powers by milling in milling the starting powders in an alcohol, specifically, methanol. I've been told B2O3 reacts with the methanol to produce boron esters which volatilise during evaporation of the milling solvent under a reduced pressure. Is this true?
How can this be done

 

[Cesium]

Take a look at this thread: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=93439

Although in your case your dealing with boron oxide, I do not think that the mechanism would be much different. You should not get much ester formation without an acid catalyst like sulfuric acid. The primary ester in question is trimethyl borate which boils at 69C at atmospheric pressure.

 

[ravenprp]

effectively?

Yes, it is true that boron esters can be formed when milling boron powders in methanol. This process is commonly used for oxygen removal from boron powders in the production of high-purity boron materials.

The reaction between B2O3 and methanol occurs at elevated temperatures and under reduced pressure. This allows for the volatilization of the boron esters, which can then be removed from the system. The effectiveness of this process depends on several factors, including the milling time, temperature, and pressure.

To ensure effective oxygen removal, it is important to carefully control these parameters. The milling time should be sufficient to allow for the complete reaction between B2O3 and methanol, but not too long as to cause excessive agglomeration of the powders. The temperature should be high enough to promote the reaction, but not too high as to cause thermal decomposition of the boron powders.

Reduced pressure is also crucial in this process as it helps to remove the volatile boron esters from the system. It is important to maintain a constant and controlled reduced pressure throughout the milling process.

In addition, using high-purity methanol and carefully controlling the milling environment (e.g. using inert gas atmosphere) can also help to improve the effectiveness of this process.

Overall, milling boron powders in methanol is an effective method for oxygen removal, but it requires careful control of process parameters to achieve the desired results.