From your stove top to space travel—boron is an element with many uses. Here are 10 things to know about one of the unsung heroes of the periodic table:

1. Boron is a naturally occurring element. Trace amounts are found in soil, water, plants, animals, and people. However, the element boron does not exist by itself in nature. It combines with oxygen and other elements to form boric acid or inorganic salts commonly called “borates.”
2. Boron (B) was officially isolated as an element in 1808. It’s the fifth element in the periodic table.
3. The first confirmed use of borates was in the 8^th century, when they were used by Arabian gold and silver smiths in metal working. However, it is thought that borates could have been used as far back as 2,000 BCE by the ancient Babylonian goldsmiths.
4. While boron is present everywhere in the environment, substantial deposits of borates are relatively rare. In fact boron-containing ores are among the rarest minerals on Earth.
5. Boron is essential for plant life. It’s integral to a plant’s reproductive cycle; controlling flowering, pollen production, germination, and seed and fruit development. The mineral also acts as a fuel pump, helping the transmission of sugars from older leaves to new growth areas and root systems.
6. If you’re reading this on your smartphone or tablet, then you’re being helped by borates. Borates have a crucial part to play in the high technology products—such as the tough cover glass in smartphones, tablets, and other electronic displays.
7. Borates are an important ingredient in insulation fiberglass, which is the largest single use for the mineral worldwide. Insulation fiberglass works by trapping air within its mesh of fibers to reduce the rate of heat transfer. Borates in the glass fibres increase the absorbance of infrared radiation, which significantly increases insulation performance.
8. Borates play an important role in keeping astronauts safe. They are used to coat the ceramic tiles on the underside of a space shuttle to help it withstand the thermal shock of re-entry. Thermal shock occurs when temperatures change suddenly, as when the shuttle leaves the freezing temperatures of space and re-enters Earth’s atmosphere at nearly 1,650°C.
9. Many different forms of borates are used to produce laundry detergents and industrial cleaners. Borates’ unique properties enhance stain removal, whiten and brighten fabrics, and soften water. Borates also act as a biostat, serving to control bacteria and fungi.
10. Borates provide an affordable, durable, and safe treatment system to protect wood homes. They prevent fungal decay and are deadly to termites, carpenter ants, and cockroaches—but are safe for people, pets, and the environment.

Find out more about borates, or take a look behind the scenes at U.S. Borax Boron Operations in California, which supplies 30% of the world’s demand for refined borates.