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Scientists Create a Single Element Compound - Admin_phpbb3_import1 - 02-05-2009 Scientists have found the first case of an ionic crystal consisting of just one chemical element – boron. This is the densest and hardest known phase of this element. The new phase turned out to be a key to understanding the phase diagram of boron – the only element for which the phase diagram was unknown since its discovery 200 years ago. Read the full story Re: Scientists Create a Single Element Compound - Steven - 02-05-2009 For me, chemistry is an "inunderstandable" phenomenon. For those who are alike me, here's an explanation I found for boron: a very hard almost colourless crystalline metalloid element that in impure form exists as a brown amorphous powder. It occurs principally in borax and is used in hardening steel. The naturally occurring isotope boron-10 is used in nuclear control rods and neutron detection instruments. Symbol: B; atomic no.: 5; atomic wt.: 10.81; valency: 3; relative density: 2.34 (crystalline), 2.37 (amorphous); melting pt.: 2092°C; boiling pt.: 4002°C