# What's the most useless chemical element? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 6, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677 "2011-03-06T13:39:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/21 "2011-03-06T20:25:28Z")
boron is an essential nutrient for plants, they are handy to have around. it is also an important part of ceramics and semiconductors. beryllium is used in semiconductors and the metals of electrical contact surfaces. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/22 "2011-03-06T20:29:17Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Boron may have its uses, but it is surely the least interesting element. 😃 Nobody doesn’t like Molten Boron ™! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/23 "2011-03-07T01:26:47Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > Well, duh, defeating the Man of Steel! > > Sheesh! > [@Canadjun](#): > > That was kryptonite, not krypton. Yup. Krypton is used for _producing_ the Man of Steel, not _defeating_ him. That still makes it useful though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/24 "2011-03-07T01:47:30Z")
> [@Heyoka13](#): > > Beryllium might be the least used of the really low atomic weights. (which I distinguish from least useful) > > This is because of the risk of berylliosis. > > I recall a proposal to use beryllia at a former employer as an insulator for some advanced electronics. The safety issue was raised, both in the risk in manufacturing it, and in the inevitable disposal of the product at the end of it’s life, or through accident. It is used for high powered semiconductors. Manufacturing, wise you need to be especially careful. But once it’s fired like a ceramic and one doesn’t take a hammer to it and snort it up like blow, it’s safe to handle. AFAIK, you can toss it in trash without a permit. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/25 "2011-03-07T02:24:00Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Boron may have its uses, but it is surely the least interesting element. 😃 Evidently you’ve never had roaches 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/26 "2011-03-07T17:38:06Z")
The most stable isotope of [Lawrencium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrencium) has a half-life of about 3.6 hours. I don’t know if that satisfies the OP or not, but there doesn’t seem to be much use for it if it could be generated in larger quantities. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/27 "2011-03-07T18:30:03Z")
Boron is also useful in the nuclear industry, where boron can be a useful [poison](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_poison): an element that will capture neutrons without emitting other neutrons - stopping or damping neutron chain reactions. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/28 "2011-03-08T02:04:59Z")
Boron is also used in the Suzuki reaction and the Chan-Lam reaction. The reactive species is actually a boronic acid or a boronic ester. How did this become a boron appreciation thread? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/29 "2011-03-08T03:15:04Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Boron is also used in the Suzuki reaction and the Chan-Lam reaction. The reactive species is actually a boronic acid or a boronic ester. > > How did this become a boron appreciation thread? And borohydrides are great for mild reductions. I always felt weird reducing esters and mixed anhydrides to alcohols in THF/water, since NaBH4 reacts with water, but that solvent combo always worked best for me. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/30 "2011-03-08T03:28:35Z")
Just about everyone who wears contact lenses uses boric acid, as a part of their saline solution. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/31 "2011-03-09T06:14:58Z")
Nobelium is useless. Interesting, but useless. It has a half-life of 58 minutes, according to Wikipedia, so there’s not much you can do with it. Boron is awesome, if only for its unique role in the synthesis of many organic compounds and strengthening of plant cell walls. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/32 "2011-03-09T16:53:04Z")
Off topic for this thread, but browsing through the periodic table on Wikipedia, [copernicum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copernicium) was news to me. On topic, I’m not sure the world would be too distraught if ytterbium vanished overnight. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/33 "2011-03-09T18:12:47Z")
Handwavium? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/34 "2011-03-09T18:30:28Z")
beryllium is also used in model boat propellers, alloyed with copper. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/35 "2011-03-09T18:38:50Z")
Beryllium is also alloyed with various transuranic elements to create neutron emitter sources. ([PuBe sources](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_source#Small-sized_devices) are just too silly a name to forget.) ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/36 "2011-03-09T19:00:46Z")
Thallium is toxic too. Doesn’t seem to garner much public notice either . . . ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/37 "2011-03-09T19:51:29Z")
> [@Heyoka13](#): > > Thallium is toxic too. > > Doesn’t seem to garner much public notice either . . . I think it was once used as a rat poison; too lazy to cite it, though. [Nevermind, here it is](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_poison#Other) ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/38 "2011-03-10T12:36:40Z")
As long as we are fawning over Boron, don’t forget it’s application as a p dopant in semi-conductors. Boron amine complexes are being looked at for hydrogen storage. Boron Nitride nanotubes are all semi-conducting. What about scandium? I don’t know of any uses for that. Also, while the Noble gases may have uses, many of the uses are interchangable. We could probably do without argon. We would just have to use one of the other noble gases. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/39 "2011-03-10T22:15:47Z")
Nah, argon is just too useful in synthetic chemistry. Most of the time nitrogen is fine for an inert atmosphere, but there are times you need argon. I can’t think of any example of the use of a different noble gas for that purpose. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677/40 "2011-03-11T04:41:16Z")
I vote for Unobtainium. It’s not so much that it’s useless. Just impossible to get ahold of. 🆒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-useless-chemical-element/573677.md?page=3)