Lanthanum hexaboride

Violet, odorless powder

Fixed

4.71 g · cm -3

2210 ° C

Insoluble in water

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Lanthanum hexaboride ( LaB6 ) is an inorganic compound of boron and lanthanum and is one of the borides.

It is a refractory ceramic material having a melting point of 2210 ° C. It is odorless and shows a violet color. It is insoluble in water and hydrochloric acid. Contact with acids or halogens should be avoided, as this combustible gases are released. As solid LaB6 is neither flammable nor explosive.

The material is vacuum- stable and is characterized by an extremely low electron work function of 2.7 eV only. It is used thus include in the plasma technology and as an electron source ( hot cathode ) in some electron microscopes. Borides and in particular the lanthanum are added in the form of very fine particles of a polymer at low concentrations, so an absorption of the laser light is achieved. This can be used both to a laser marker ( label ), as well as laser welding.