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Elements: Boron

Boron is the mineral from the Wild West that stops glass from shattering and stops bullets in their tracks.

Boron is the mineral from the Wild West that stops glass from shattering and stops bullets in their tracks. Presenter Laurence Knight visits the Dixon Glass works to see why borosilicate glass is perfect for making chemistry equipment and much of the glassware we use in our day-to-day lives. Professor Andrea Sella demonstrates how this element puts the flub into flubber. Colin Roberson, founder of body armour firm Advanced Defence Materials, explains why being shot is like standing at the bottom of a volcano. And the 主播大秀's Kim Gittleson travels to the deserts of California where the modern-day story of boron first began.

(Photo: A sign for Pioneer Park Boron mine)

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18 minutes

Last on

Thu 11 Jun 2015 16:05GMT

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  • Thu 11 Jun 2015 07:32GMT
  • Thu 11 Jun 2015 16:05GMT

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